Shloka 1

Adhyāya 108: Paścima-dik—Varuṇa’s Realm, Sunset Cosmology, and Sacred-Geographic Markers

Suparṇa–Gālava संवाद

Devanagari script

ऑपनआ कराता बछ। अर: 2 नवाधिकशततमो<्ध्याय: दक्षिणदिशाका वर्णन युपर्ण उवाच इयं विवस्वता पूर्व श्रेतेन विधिना किल । गुरवे दक्षिणा दत्ता दक्षिणेत्युच्यते च दिक्‌

Transliteration

Yuparṇa uvāca: iyaṁ Vivasvatā pūrvaṁ śreteṇa vidhinā kila | gurave dakṣiṇā dattā dakṣiṇety ucyate ca dik ||

Translation

যুপর্ণ বললেন—প্রাচীন কালে বিবস্বান (সূর্য) প্রতিষ্ঠিত বিধি অনুসারে গুরুকে দক্ষিণা-রূপে এই দিক দান করেছিলেন; তাই একে ‘দক্ষিণ’ দিক বলা হয়, কারণ এটি ছিল ‘দক্ষিণা’।

Word by Word

• युपर्णः: Yuparṇa (proper name)
• युपर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युपर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विवस्वता: by Vivasvat (the Sun)
• विवस्वता: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवस्वत्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व

• श्रुतेन: by what was heard / by tradition
• श्रुतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• विधिना: by the prescribed rule/rite
• विधिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• किल: indeed, it is said
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल

• गुरवे: to the teacher
• गुरवे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• दक्षिणा: a sacrificial fee/gift (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दत्ता: given
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: kta (past passive participle), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दक्षिणा: Dakṣiṇā / the right (southern) side (as a name)
• दक्षिणा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• उच्यते: is called / is said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Present, Passive, 3rd, Singular

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

• दिक्: direction (quarter)
• दिक्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

युपर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• युपर्ण (Yuparṇa)
• विवस्वत् (Vivasvat / Sūrya)
• गुरु (teacher)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links sacred geography with dharma: honoring one’s teacher through a proper dakṣiṇā (ritually sanctioned gift) is upheld as an exemplary act, and even the naming of a direction is explained through that ethical-ritual ideal.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yuparṇa begins a description of the southern quarter (dakṣiṇa-diś) and offers an etymological tradition: it is called ‘dakṣiṇā’ because Vivasvat once gave it as a dakṣiṇā to his guru according to prescribed rites.