Shloka 173

Viśokā Dvādaśī Vow, Guḍa-Dhenū (Jaggery-Cow) Gift, and Śaila-Dāna (Mountain-Charity) Rites

Devanagari script

मुक्ताफलसहस्रेण पर्वतस्स्यादनुत्तमः । मध्यमः पंचशतिकस्त्रिशतेनाधमः स्मृतः

Transliteration

muktāphalasahasreṇa parvatassyādanuttamaḥ | madhyamaḥ paṃcaśatikastriśatenādhamaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

Ein Berg aus tausend Perlen gilt als unvergleichlich; einer mit fünfhundert ist mittelmäßig; und einer mit dreihundert wird als geringer bezeichnet.

Word by Word

• muktāphala-sahasreṇa: with a thousand pearls
• muktāphala-sahasreṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muktāphala (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('a thousand of pearls')

• parvataḥ: the mountain (heap)
• parvataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• syāt: would be/is to be
• syāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्) (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• anuttamaḥ: unsurpassed, best
• anuttamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anuttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• madhyamaḥ: middling
• madhyamaḥ: Viśeṣya/Predicate (विशेष्य/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• paṃcaśatikaḥ: (one) of five hundred
• paṃcaśatikaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paṃca (प्रातिपदिक) + śatika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (numeral compound: 'five-hundred')

• triśatena: with three hundred
• triśatena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु ('three hundred')

• adhamaḥ: lowest
• adhamaḥ: Viśeṣya/Predicate (विशेष्य/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• smṛtaḥ: is said/considered
• smṛtaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (स्मृ) (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'is said/considered'

Speaker

Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: parvatassyād → parvataḥ + syāt; triśatenādhamaḥ → triśatena + adhamaḥ.

FAQs

What is being classified in this verse?

The verse classifies a “mountain” by the number of pearls associated with it, ranking it as excellent (1000), middling (500), or inferior (300).

Is this a literal geography statement or a symbolic description?

In Purāṇic literature such descriptions can be literal within the text’s mythic geography, and also symbolic—using precious quantities to express relative greatness or merit. The exact intent depends on the surrounding passage.

What ethical or devotional teaching does this verse give?

By itself it functions primarily as a comparative measure of excellence. Any ethical or bhakti lesson would come from how this scale is applied in the broader dialogue (e.g., to gifts, merit, or sacred places) in adjacent verses.