Shloka 15

The Appearance of Śrī Nārada and Vyāsa’s Dissatisfaction

Veda-vibhāga and the Need for Bhakti

Devanagari script

स कदाचित्सरस्वत्या उपस्पृश्य जलं शुचि: । विविक्त एक आसीन उदिते रविमण्डले ॥ १५ ॥

Transliteration

sa kadācit sarasvatyā upaspṛśya jalaṁ śuciḥ vivikta eka āsīna udite ravi-maṇḍale

Translation

Einst, beim Aufgang der Sonne, nahm Vyāsadeva ein reinigendes Bad im heiligen Wasser der Sarasvatī und setzte sich allein an einen abgeschiedenen Ort, um den Geist in Meditation zu sammeln.

Synonyms

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• कदाचित्: once, at some time
• कदाचित्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• सरस्वत्याः: from/at the Sarasvatī (river)
• सरस्वत्याः: अपादान (Apādāna/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th case/ablative), एकवचन

• उपस्पृश्य: having touched (sipped/cleansed by water)
• उपस्पृश्य: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having touched/after touching’

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd case/accusative), एकवचन

• शुचिः: pure, clean
• शुचिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject—qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘सः’)

• विविक्ते: in a secluded place
• विविक्ते: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th case/locative), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक (locative)

• एकः: alone
• एकः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject—qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘सः’)

• आसीनः: seated
• आसीनः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject—state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आस् (धातु) + आसीन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘seated’

• उदिते: when risen, at the rising
• उदिते: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location—qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘रविमण्डले’)

• रविमण्डले: in the sun’s orb (at sunrise)
• रविमण्डले: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location/Time setting)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: ‘of the sun’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Purport

The river Sarasvatī is flowing in the Badarikāśrama area of the Himālayas. So the place indicated here is Śamyāprāsa in Badarikāśrama, where Śrī Vyāsadeva is residing.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsadeva
• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about purification before spiritual practice?

This verse shows Vyāsadeva first purifying himself by touching the sacred waters of the Sarasvatī and then sitting in seclusion—indicating inner and outer cleanliness as a support for focused meditation and bhakti.

Why did Vyāsadeva sit alone in a secluded place in Canto 1 Chapter 4?

He sought undisturbed concentration for contemplation; the Bhagavatam depicts him choosing solitude after purification so his mind could become steady for deeper realization.

Practical application of this shloka in modern life?

Begin spiritual study or japa with a simple cleansing routine (clean space, fresh body, calm setting) and reduce distractions—then sit consistently at a fixed time to cultivate steady devotion.