Shloka 14

Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity

Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

आप्तोयमिषु नियतमेकैकस्मिन्‌ दशाददम्‌ । गृष्टीनां क्षीरदात्रीणां रोहिणीनां शतानि च

Transliteration

āpto ’yam iṣu niyatam ekaikasmin daśādadam | gṛṣṭīnāṃ kṣīradātrīṇāṃ rohiṇīnāṃ śatāni ca ||

Translation

Bhagīratha sprach: „Nachdem ich die für Opfer vorgeschriebenen Gelübde und die Weihe (dīkṣā) ordnungsgemäß auf mich genommen hatte, gab ich—jedes Mal, jedem Brāhmaṇa—zehn Kühe, die zum ersten Mal gekalbt hatten und Milch gaben, und dazu Hunderte von Kühen der Rohiṇī-Rasse.“

Word by Word

• आप्तः: obtained/attained
• आप्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इषु: in arrows / among arrows
• इषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: इषु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• नियत: fixed/appointed
• नियत: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एकैकस्मिन्: in each (one) / for each
• एकैकस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक-एक (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्मिन् (सर्वनाम-रूप)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् (संख्या), —, —

• आददम्: gave / bestowed
• आददम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• गृष्टीनाम्: of first-calved cows
• गृष्टीनाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• क्षीरदात्रीणाम्: of milk-giving (cows)
• क्षीरदात्रीणाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीरदात्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• रोहिणीनाम्: of Rohiṇī-type (cows)
• रोहिणीनाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोहिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: true

Speaker

भगीरथ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhagīratha
• brāhmaṇas
• cows (gṛṣṭī, kṣīradātrī)
• Rohiṇī cows

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That righteous giving (dāna) should be performed in a regulated, lawful manner and directed toward sustaining dharma—here, by supporting brāhmaṇas and sacrificial life with valuable, life-sustaining gifts like milk-yielding cows.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhagīratha recounts his past acts of merit: after undertaking sacrificial consecrations and vows, he repeatedly donated to brāhmaṇas sets of ten first-calved, milk-giving cows and additionally hundreds of Rohiṇī-breed cows, presenting his generosity as evidence of dharmic conduct.