Shloka 21

Nārāyaṇopadeśa to Mārkaṇḍeya (Cosmic Self-Identification and Yuga Doctrine) | नारायणोपदेशः

Devanagari script

ताक्ष्य उवाच क्षेत्रज्ञभूतां पपलोकभावे कर्मोदये बुद्धिमतिप्रविष्टाम्‌ । प्रज्ञां च देवीं सुभगे विमृश्य पृच्छामि त्वां का हसि चारुरूपे

Transliteration

tākṣya uvāca kṣetrajñabhūtāṃ paplokabhāve karmodaye buddhimatipraviṣṭām | prajñāṃ ca devīṃ subhage vimṛśya pṛcchāmi tvāṃ kā hasi cārurūpe ||

Translation

قال تاكشيا: «بعد أن تأمّلتُ فيكِ—وأنتِ تبدين كـ“عارف الحقل” (الشاهد الباطن)، الحاضر في تفتّح الكَرْما، وقد نفذتِ إلى العقل المميِّز—وبعد أن اعتبرتكِ الحكمة الإلهية ذاتها، أيتها المباركة، أسألكِ، أيتها الحسناء: من أنتِ؟»

Word by Word

ताक्ष्यःTākṣya (Garuda)

उवाचsaid

क्षेत्रज्ञभूताम्having become the knower of the field (kṣetrajña-like)

पपलोकभावेin the state/condition of (papa-)loka (a world/realm)

कर्मोदयेat the arising/fruition of karma

बुद्धिमतिप्रविष्टाम्entered into intelligence/understanding

प्रज्ञाम्wisdom

चand

देवीम्goddess

सुभगेO fortunate/beautiful one

विमृश्यhaving reflected/considered

पृच्छामिI ask

त्वाम्you

काwho (fem.)

असिare (you)

चारुरूपेO lovely-formed one

Speaker

ताक्ष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Tākṣya (Garuḍa)

Kṣetrajña (the inner knower/witness)

Devī (goddess-like Wisdom/Prajñā)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a philosophical inquiry: true wisdom is recognized as the inner witness (kṣetrajña) operating through intelligence and amid the maturation of karma. Ethical life is implied to rest on discerning this deeper principle behind actions and their results.

What is happening in the narrative?

Tākṣya addresses a beautiful, auspicious feminine presence identified with divine Wisdom. After contemplating her nature—as the inner knower and as the power present in the rise of karma—he asks directly who she is.