Shloka 53

Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ

Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony

Devanagari script

धारानिनादैर्विहगप्रणादै: शुभैस्तथा बूंहितैः: कुज्जराणाम्‌ | गीतैस्तथा किन्नराणामुदारै: शुभै: स्वनै: सामगानां च वीर

Transliteration

dhārāninādair vihagapraṇādaiḥ śubhais tathā bṛṃhitaiḥ kuñjarāṇām | gītaiś tathā kinnarāṇām udāraiḥ śubhaiḥ svanaiḥ sāmagānāṃ ca vīra vīra |

Translation

হে বীৰ! পৰ্বতশিখৰৰ পৰা ঝৰি অহা ঝৰ্ণাৰ ঝৰঝৰ নিনাদ, পক্ষীৰ মধুৰ কূজন, হাতীৰ গর্জন, কিন্নৰৰ উদাৰ আৰু মনোহৰ গীত, আৰু সামগান কৰা সামবেদী পণ্ডিতৰ মঙ্গলময় স্বৰ—এই সকলোয়ে সেই বনপ্ৰদেশক সংগীতময় কৰি তুলিছিল।

Word by Word

• धारा: by streams (waterfalls)
• धारा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• निनादैः: by sounds/roars
• निनादैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निनाद
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• विहग: of birds
• विहग: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विहग
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• प्रणादैः: by calls/cries
• प्रणादैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणाद
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शुभैः: auspicious/pleasant
• शुभैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तथा: and also/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• बृंहितैः: by trumpeting/roaring (sounds)
• बृंहितैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृंहित
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• कुञ्जराणाम्: of elephants
• कुञ्जराणाम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुञ्जर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• गीतैः: by songs
• गीतैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• तथा: and also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• किन्नराणाम्: of Kinnaras
• किन्नराणाम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: किन्नर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• उदारैः: noble/beautiful
• उदारैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदार
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• शुभैः: auspicious/pleasant
• शुभैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• स्वनैः: by sounds
• स्वनैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सामगानाम्: of Sāma-chanters
• सामगानाम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामग
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वीर: O hero
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• वीर: O hero
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• mountain-peaks (parvata-śikhara)
• waterfalls/streams (dhārā)
• birds (vihaga)
• elephants (kuñjara)
• Kinnaras
• Sāma-chanters / Sāmavedic singers (sāmagāna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical-religious mood created by śubha (auspicious) sounds: nature’s harmony and Vedic chant together sanctify a place, suggesting that environments shaped by purity, beauty, and sacred speech support dharmic reflection and right conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva describes a forest-region near mountain-peaks as filled with layered sounds—waterfalls, birds, elephants, celestial Kinnara music, and Sāma-chanting—portraying a serene, spiritually charged setting.