Shloka 21

Adhyāya 57: Tapas–Dāna Phala

On the Fruits of Austerity and Giving

Devanagari script

ततोडन्यस्मिन्‌ वनोद्देशे पुनरेव ददर्श तम्‌ | कौश्यां बृस्यां समासीनं जपमानं महाव्रतम्‌

Transliteration

tato 'nyasmin vanoddeśe punar eva dadarśa tam | kauśyāṁ bṛsyāṁ samāsīnaṁ japamānaṁ mahāvratam ||

Translation

Dann sah der König ihn in einem anderen Teil des Waldes wieder. Der große Weise—standhaft in einem erhabenen Gelübde—saß auf einer Matte aus Kuśa-Gras und war versunken in der Wiederholung heiliger Formeln.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/from there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः
• Form: Avyaya

• अन्यस्मिन्: in another
• अन्यस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वन-उद्देशे: in a region/part of the forest
• वन-उद्देशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्देश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः
• Form: Avyaya

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव
• Form: Avyaya

• ददर्श: saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd person, Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कौश्याम्: on a kuśa-mat (grass mat)
• कौश्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौश्या
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• बृस्याम्: on a seat/mat (bṛsī)
• बृस्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृसी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• समासीनम्: seated
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आस्
• Form: Past participle (kta), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जपमानम्: muttering/reciting (a mantra)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप्
• Form: Present participle (śatṛ), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाव्रतम्: of great vow; great-vowed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाव्रत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• the king (rājā)
• the great-vowed sage/ascetic (mahāvrata)
• forest tract (vanoddeśa)
• kuśa-grass mat (kauśī bṛsī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical power of steadfast vows and disciplined spiritual practice: an ascetic’s authority and purity arise from consistent self-restraint (vrata) and devotion expressed through japa.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that the king encounters the same person again in another part of the forest, finding him seated on a kuśa-grass mat and engaged in japa, marked as a great-vowed ascetic.