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Shloka 37

Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa: Divine Friendship, Guru-bhakti, and the Lord’s Grace

Devanagari script

सूर्यश्चास्तं गतस्तावत् तमसा चावृता दिश: । निम्नं कूलं जलमयं न प्राज्ञायत किञ्चन ॥ ३७ ॥

Transliteration

sūryaś cāstaṁ gatas tāvat tamasā cāvṛtā diśaḥ nimnaṁ kūlaṁ jala-mayaṁ na prājñāyata kiñcana

Translation

Dann ging die Sonne unter, und Dunkelheit bedeckte alle Himmelsrichtungen. Durch das überflutende Wasser konnten wir nichts mehr unterscheiden: weder Hoch noch Tief, weder Ufer noch Senke.

Synonyms
सूर्यःthe sun
सूर्यः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootसूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (nominative) एकवचन — subject
चand
च:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)
अस्तम्to setting; to the west
अस्तम्:
Karma (कर्म/Goal)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative) एकवचन — ‘to setting (place/state)’
गतःhad gone
गतः:
Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative)
TypeVerb
Root√गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन — predicative with सूर्यः (‘having gone’)
तावत्by then; meanwhile
तावत्:
Desha-Kala (देश-काल/Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतावत् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; परिमाण/कालवाचक (adverb) — ‘then/so long/meanwhile’
तमसाby darkness
तमसा:
Karana (करण/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootतमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (instrumental) एकवचन — ‘by darkness’
चand
च:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)
आवृताःcovered; enveloped
आवृताः:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootआ-√वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकृदन्त (past participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन — agreeing with दिशः (‘covered’)
दिशःthe directions; quarters
दिशः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootदिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (nominative) बहुवचन — subject (‘directions’)
निम्नम्low ground; depression
निम्नम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootनिम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन — one of the items not discerned
कूलम्bank; shore
कूलम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootकूल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन — ‘bank/shore’
जल-मयम्watery; made of water
जल-मयम्:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootजल (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष (material/‘made of’): ‘made of water’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन — qualifying (scene/ground)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)
प्राज्ञायतwas discerned; was recognized
प्राज्ञायत:
Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-√ज्ञा (धातु)
Formलङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — ‘was known/was discerned’
किञ्चनanything at all
किञ्चन:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootकिञ्चन (सर्वनाम/अव्ययवत्)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन — ‘anything at all’

FAQs

This verse portrays the journey’s difficulty—after sunset the directions were swallowed by darkness, and Sudāmā could not distinguish land from water, highlighting the austerity endured on the way to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Śukadeva narrates the scene to show the severe conditions and uncertainty faced during travel, emphasizing Sudāmā’s determination and faith as he proceeds toward Kṛṣṇa despite obstacles.

When life feels unclear—like not knowing “bank or water”—continue steady devotional effort and right action; perseverance through uncertainty is part of sincere spiritual progress.

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