Shloka 3

Instruction to the Brahmin

The Greatness of Piṇḍa and Prasāda on Mount Nīla

Devanagari script

तत्र भिल्ला मया दृष्टाः पर्वताग्रे धनुर्भृतः । चतुर्भुजा मूलफलैर्भक्ष्यैर्निर्वाहितक्लमाः

Transliteration

tatra bhillā mayā dṛṣṭāḥ parvatāgre dhanurbhṛtaḥ | caturbhujā mūlaphalairbhakṣyairnirvāhitaklamāḥ

Translation

هناك رأيت رجال قبيلة البِهِلّا على ذروة الجبل يحملون الأقواس؛ ذوو أربعة أذرع، قد أزالوا إعياءهم بأكل الجذور والثمار المأكولة.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• भिल्लाः: Bhill tribesmen
• भिल्लाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिल्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दृष्टाः: were seen
• दृष्टाः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय

• पर्वत-अग्रे: on the mountain-top
• पर्वत-अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: ‘पर्वतस्य अग्रे’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• धनुः-भृतः: bow-bearing
• धनुः-भृतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + भृत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; भृ + क्तिन्/क्विप्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद: ‘धनुः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (भिल्लाः)

• चतुर्-भुजाः: four-armed
• चतुर्-भुजाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (संख्यापूर्वपद), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• मूल-फलैः: with roots and fruits
• मूल-फलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (समाहार/इतरेतर: roots and fruits), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• भक्ष्यैः: with edible foods
• भक्ष्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ष्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; भक्ष् + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; साधन/उपकरणार्थ

• निर्वाहित-क्लमाः: whose fatigue was dispelled
• निर्वाहित-क्लमाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + वह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) + क्लम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय-भाव: ‘निर्वाहितः क्लमः येषाम्’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (unspecified in the provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: mountain

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: पर्वताग्रे = पर्वत-अग्रे; धनुर्भृतः = धनुः-भृतः; चतुर्भुजा = चतुर्-भुजाः; मूलफलैः = मूल-फलैः; भक्ष्यैर्निर्वाहितक्लमाः = भक्ष्यैः निर्वाहित-क्लमाः.

Characters & Entities

• Bhilla (tribal people)

FAQs

Who are the Bhillas mentioned in this verse?

The verse refers to Bhillas as forest-and-hill dwelling people, portrayed here as bow-bearing inhabitants of a mountain region.

What is the narrative purpose of mentioning roots and fruits?

It emphasizes a wilderness setting and a subsistence lifestyle, showing how the group sustains itself and overcomes fatigue through simple forest foods.

Does “four-armed” indicate divinity here?

Not necessarily. In Purāṇic descriptions, unusual bodily traits can be literal, symbolic, or part of marvel-filled travel narration; the verse itself does not explicitly identify them as deities.