Shloka 37

Nāgendra–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Praśna-vidhi and Dharmic Approach on the Gomatī Riverbank

Devanagari script

हरे: स्तोत्रार्थमुद्धूता बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतां वर । ततो जगीौ परं जप्यं साञ्जलिप्रग्रह: प्रभु:,नृपश्रेष्ठट ऐसी बातें कहते हुए ब्रह्माजीके मनमें भगवान्‌ श्रीहरिकी स्तुति करनेका विचार उत्पन्न हुआ। बुद्धिमानोंमें अग्रगण्य नरेश! तब भगवान्‌ ब्रह्माने हाथ जोड़कर उत्तम एवं जपने योग्य स्तोत्रका गान आरम्भ किया

Transliteration

Vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | hareḥ stotrārtham uddhūtā buddhir buddhimatāṃ vara | tato jagau paraṃ japyaṃ sāñjalipragrahaḥ prabhuḥ ||

Translation

قال فايشَمبايانا: يا خيرَ الحكماء! لقد نهض في قلب براهما عزمٌ على تسبيح هَري. ثم إن ذلك الربَّ الجبّار، وقد ضمَّ كفّيه بخشوع، شرع ينشد ترنيمةً عليا—صالحةً لأن تُتلى جَپًا (japa)—مُبيِّنًا أن التعبّد والتواضع هما الجواب اللائق، حتى لأرفع الكائنات، حين يتوجّهون إلى الإلهيّ.

Word by Word

• {'hareḥ': 'of Hari (Viṣṇu), the Lord', 'stotrārtham': 'for the purpose of a hymn of praise', 'uddhūtā': 'arisen, stirred up, awakened', 'buddhiḥ': 'intention, understanding, resolve', 'buddhimatām vara': 'O best among the intelligent/wise (vocative address)', 'tataḥ': 'then, thereafter', 'jagau': 'sang, chanted', 'param': 'supreme, highest', 'japyam': 'fit to be repeated as japa

• to be recited', 'sāñjali': 'with joined palms (añjali gesture)', 'pragrahaḥ': 'holding/maintaining (the posture)

• here: maintaining folded hands', 'prabhuḥ': 'the lord, the powerful one (here: Brahmā)'}

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Brahmā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the highest cosmic authority (Brahmā) approaches the Supreme (Hari) through humility and devotional praise; stotra and japa are presented as elevating, disciplined modes of turning the mind toward dharmic reverence.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator states that Brahmā’s intention to praise Hari arises; Brahmā then folds his hands and begins chanting a supreme, japa-worthy hymn.