Shloka 23

Narmadā Pilgrimage Itinerary: Sequence of Tīrthas, Rites, and Fruits

Devanagari script

वृषभं यः प्रयच्छेत शंखकुंदेंदु संनिभम् । वृषयुक्तेन यानेन रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति

Transliteration

vṛṣabhaṃ yaḥ prayaccheta śaṃkhakuṃdeṃdu saṃnibham | vṛṣayuktena yānena rudralokaṃ sa gacchati

Translation

مَن يتصدّق بثورٍ أبيضَ كالمحارة والياسمين والقمر، يذهب إلى عالم رودرا، محمولًا على عربةٍ تجرّها الثيران.

Word by Word

• वृषभम्: a bull
• वृषभम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative Singular (relative pronoun)

• प्रयच्छेत्: should give
• प्रयच्छेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + यम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — should give/bestow

• शंखकुंदेंदु: conch, jasmine, and moon (i.e., their whiteness)
• शंखकुंदेंदु: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख + कुन्द + इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (as compound stem used adjectivally) — collective dvandva

• संनिभम्: resembling, similar to
• संनिभम्: Karman (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संनिभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular (agreeing with वृषभम्)

• वृषयुक्तेन: yoked with a bull
• वृषयुक्तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृष + युक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental Singular (agreeing with यानेन); समास: वृष-युक्त (तत्पुरुष)

• यानेन: by a vehicle
• यानेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental Singular

• रुद्रलोकम्: Rudra’s world
• रुद्रलोकम्: Karman (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular; समास: रुद्र-लोक (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative Singular (correlative pronoun)

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — goes

Speaker

Not specified in the provided excerpt (context needed to confirm the dialogue frame, e.g., Pulastya–Bhīṣma).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: शंखकुंदेंदु = शंख + कुन्द + इन्दु (इ + इ → ए).

Characters & Entities

• Rudra

FAQs

What is the main teaching of this verse?

It teaches the merit (puṇya) of vṛṣabha-dāna (donating a bull), stating that such a gift leads the donor to Rudra’s realm.

Why does the verse describe the bull as conch-, jasmine-, and moon-like?

These images emphasize auspicious whiteness and purity, marking the donated bull as an ideal, ritually commendable gift.

What ethical value does this verse promote?

It promotes charitable giving (dāna) and the idea that generosity—especially gifts supporting dharmic life—bears spiritual results after death.