Shloka 22

Kuru's Consecration — Kuru’s Consecration and the Sanctification of Samantapañcaka (Kurukshetra)

Devanagari script

कृत्वा सीरं स सौवर्णं गह्य रुद्रवृषं प्रभुः पौण्ड्रकं याम्यमहिषं स्वयं कर्षितुमुद्यतः

Transliteration

kṛtvā sīraṃ sa sauvarṇaṃ gahya rudravṛṣaṃ prabhuḥ pauṇḍrakaṃ yāmyamahiṣaṃ svayaṃ karṣitumudyataḥ

Translation

وصنع محراثًا من ذهب؛ ثم أخذ (وأوثق للنير) الثورَ المسمّى رودرافْرِشَ (Rudravṛṣa) وجاموسَ يَما (Yama) المسمّى باونْدْرَكا (Pauṇḍraka)، فانطلق السيّد/الملك ليحرث بنفسه.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Anterior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• सीरम्: plough
• सीरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सौवर्णम्: golden
• सौवर्णम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• गृह्य: having taken
• गृह्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Anterior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘गृह्य’ = ‘गृहीत्वा’

• रुद्रवृषम्: Rudra’s bull
• रुद्रवृषम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र-वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रुद्रस्य वृषः)

• प्रभुः: the lord
• प्रभुः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; apposition to सः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पौण्ड्रकम्: Puṇḍra-related (eastern)
• पौण्ड्रकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौण्ड्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of Puṇḍra region)

• याम्यमहिषम्: the southern buffalo
• याम्यमहिषम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्य-महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (याम्यः महिषः = southern buffalo)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वतन्त्रकर्तृबोधक अव्यय (adverb: ‘oneself, personally’)

• कर्षितुम्: to plough
• कर्षितुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृष् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), ‘to plough’

• उद्यतः: ready, intent
• उद्यतः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-यत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘ready/raised/intent’

Speakers

• Narrator voice within the Purāṇic frame (commonly Pulastya → Nārada
• not explicit here)

Primary Deities

• Yama (implied via yāmya-mahiṣa)
• Rudra (implied via the name/epithet rudravṛṣa)

Key Themes

• Tīrtha-Māhātmya
• Ritual action (land consecration through ploughing)
• Royal humility and personal effort
• Implicit Śaiva-Vaishnava synthesis markers (Rudra-name in royal rite; Yama-symbolism)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The king’s self-ploughing highlights leadership through direct responsibility rather than delegation. In tīrtha contexts, such labor becomes a sacral act—ordering the land and generating merit and remembrance (kīrti).

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa?

Primarily Vaṃśānucarita/Carita: exemplary deeds linked to the sanctification of place. Secondarily, it supports tīrtha-mahātmya exposition by narrating the origin/activation of sacred space through action.

What is the symbolic significance?

A golden plough signifies royal śrī (prosperity) offered into dharma. The pairing of ‘Rudra’ (via rudravṛṣa) and ‘Yama’ (via yāmya-mahiṣa) can symbolically bracket life-force and restraint/order—suggesting that sacred landscapes are established by integrating power (raudra) with law/limit (yama).