Shloka 20

Narmadā

Revā) Tīrtha Greatness: The Gandharva Maidens’ Curse Narrative (Acchodā Episode Begins

Devanagari script

कौतुकादेकदा पंच मिलित्वा मासि माधवे । कन्या मंदारपुष्पाणि विचिन्वंत्यो वनाद्वनम्

Transliteration

kautukādekadā paṃca militvā māsi mādhave | kanyā maṃdārapuṣpāṇi vicinvaṃtyo vanādvanam

Translation

ذات مرة، بدافع الفضول، اجتمعت خمس فتياتٍ في شهر ماذافا (زمن الربيع)؛ وهنّ يلتمسن أزهار الماندارا، طُفن من غابةٍ إلى غابة.

Word by Word

• कौतुकात्: out of curiosity
• कौतुकात्: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (ablative/5th), एकवचन (singular)

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Kala (काल/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable-like usage); विशेषण to कन्याः (implied)

• मिलित्वा: having met/assembled
• मिलित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मिल् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time-location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• माधवे: in Mādhava (spring month)
• माधवे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time-location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative/7th), एकवचन (singular); मास-नाम (name of a month)

• कन्याः: the maidens
• कन्याः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• मन्दारपुष्पाणि: mandāra flowers
• मन्दारपुष्पाणि: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दार-पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक; components: मन्दार + पुष्प)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive tatpurusha: 'मन्दारस्य पुष्पाणि')

• विचिन्वन्त्यः: searching for/gathering
• विचिन्वन्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चि (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural); परस्मैपद-कर्तरि भाव

• वनात्: from a forest
• वनात्: Apadana (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (ablative/5th), एकवचन (singular)

• वनम्: to (another) forest / forest (as destination)
• वनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object/Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; specific interlocutors not identifiable from this single verse alone)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shringara

Geographic Context

Type: forest

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: कौतुकात्+एकदा→कौतुकादेकदा; वनात्+वनम्→वनाद्वनम्

Characters & Entities

• Mādhava (month/season)
• Mandāra (tree/flower)

FAQs

What is meant by the month of Mādhava in this verse?

Mādhava refers to a spring month/seasonal period associated with blossoming and pleasant weather, making it a fitting time for gathering flowers.

Why are mandāra flowers significant in Purāṇic literature?

Mandāra is a famed celestial tree/flower often associated with divine realms and auspiciousness; its mention commonly signals beauty, abundance, or sacred atmosphere.

What ethical or thematic idea is suggested by “from forest to forest”?

It conveys purposeful seeking and movement—an image of questing that can frame later narrative developments (testing, discovery, or the consequences of curiosity).