Shloka 13

Adhyāya 96: Nārada Guides Mātali in Varuṇa’s Realm

Varuṇa-loka Darśana

Devanagari script

गुणकेशीति विख्याता नाम्ना सा देवरूपिणी । श्रिया च वपुषा चैव स्त्रियो5न्या: सातिरिच्यते

Transliteration

guṇakeśīti vikhyātā nāmnā sā devarūpiṇī | śriyā ca vapuṣā caiva striyo 'nyāḥ sātiricyate ||

Translation

কণ্ব বললেন—সে দেবতুল্য রূপবতী কন্যা ‘গুণকেশী’ নামে প্রসিদ্ধ ছিল। শ্রী ও দেহসৌন্দর্যে সে তখনকার সকল নারীকেই অতিক্রম করেছিল।

Word by Word

• गुणकेशी: Guṇakeśī (the girl named so)
• गुणकेशी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुणकेशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• विख्याता: well-known, renowned
• विख्याता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-ख्यात (धातु √ख्यात/√ख्या, क्त)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• सा: she
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• देवरूपिणी: having a divine form, godlike
• देवरूपिणी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवरूपिणी (प्रातिपदिक; देवरूपिन्-स्त्री)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रिया: by beauty/splendour
• श्रिया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

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

• वपुषा: by body/figure
• वपुषा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• अन्याः: other
• अन्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• सा: she
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अतिरिच्यते: surpasses, excels
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-√रिच् (धातु; लट्, आत्मनेपद)
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada, Active (middle endings)

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kaṇva
• Guṇakeśī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how extraordinary qualities (śrī and vapuḥ) make a person stand out, while also framing beauty as an auspicious attribute (śrī) that can influence how a character is perceived within dharmic narrative.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇva introduces and describes a maiden named Guṇakeśī, emphasizing her divine appearance and her unmatched beauty among women of her time, setting her up as a significant figure in the unfolding account.