Shloka 49

The Meeting with Agastya

Rāma Praised by the Gods; Phalaśruti; Ideal Reign; Prelude to Agastya’s Arrival

Devanagari script

गृहीत्वार्घ्यं समुत्तस्थौ वसिष्ठेन समन्वितः । जनताभिर्महाराजो वार्धिशोषकमागतम्

Transliteration

gṛhītvārghyaṃ samuttasthau vasiṣṭhena samanvitaḥ | janatābhirmahārājo vārdhiśoṣakamāgatam

Translation

Nachdem der große König das Arghya-Opfer angenommen hatte, erhob er sich, von Vasiṣṭha begleitet; und zusammen mit dem Volk ging er, um den zu sehen, der als der „Austrockner des Ozeans“ gekommen war.

Word by Word

• gṛhītvā: having taken
• gṛhītvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having taken’

• arghyam: offering (arghya)
• arghyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arghya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• sam-uttasthau: stood up
• sam-uttasthau: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + √sthā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: सम्, उत्

• vasiṣṭhena: with/by Vasiṣṭha
• vasiṣṭhena: Sahakārī/Karaṇa (सहकारी/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• samanvitaḥ: accompanied
• samanvitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samanvita (कृदन्त; सम्+अनु+√i/√vī?; ‘endowed/attended’)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त/क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• janatābhiḥ: by/with the people
• janatābhiḥ: Sahakārī/Karaṇa (सहकारी/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• mahā-rājaḥ: the great king
• mahā-rājaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (महान् राजा); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• vārdhi-śoṣakam: the dryer-up of the ocean
• vārdhi-śoṣakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārdhi (प्रातिपदिक) + śoṣaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (vārdheḥ śoṣakaḥ); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• āgatam: arrived/come
• āgatam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āgata (कृदन्त; ā+√gam)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (context not specified in the provided excerpt; likely within the Pulastya–Bhīṣma frame typical of the Padma Purāṇa)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: city

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: gṛhītvā arghyam→gṛhītvārghyam (ā + a→ā); janatābhiḥ mahārājaḥ→janatābhirmahārājo (visarga→r; final -aḥ→-o before voiced sound in external sandhi); śoṣakam āgatam→śoṣakamāgatam (a+a→ā).

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Mahārāja (the great king)

FAQs

Who is the ‘vārdhiśoṣaka’ mentioned in this verse?

The term literally means “one who dries up the ocean.” In this isolated verse, it functions as an epithet for an arriving figure; identifying the exact person requires the surrounding verses of Adhyaya 5.

What does the mention of arghya indicate in Purāṇic scenes?

Arghya is a formal offering of respect given to a revered guest; its acceptance and the king’s rising signal ritual propriety and the seriousness of the encounter.

What ethical or social lesson is implied by the king being ‘with the people’?

It suggests public accountability and collective participation: the king does not act in isolation but responds to major events together with advisors (Vasiṣṭha) and the wider community.