Shloka 17

पाण्डवानां पाञ्चालगमनम्

The Pāṇḍavas’ Journey toward Pāñcāla and News of the Svayaṃvara

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच देवतातिथिपित्रर्थ याज्यार्थ च पयस्विनी

Transliteration

Vasiṣṭha uvāca devatātithipitrartha yājyārtha ca payasvinī

Translation

Vasiṣṭha said: “She is rich in milk, and is meant for sacred purposes—fit to be offered for the sake of the gods, for honoring guests, and for the rites due to the ancestors.”

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular

• देवत: a god / divine being
• देवत: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अतिथिपित्रर्थ: for the sake of guests and ancestors
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि + पितृ + अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• याज्यार्थ: for the purpose of sacrifice / worship
• Type: Noun
• Root: याज्य + अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पयस्विनी: the milk-giving one (cow)
• पयस्विनी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस्विनी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• deities (devatāḥ)
• guests (atithayaḥ)
• ancestors (pitaraḥ)
• milch cow / milk-rich offering (payasvinī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma expressed through rightful use of resources: what is nourishing and valuable (symbolized by a milk-rich cow) should be directed toward sacred obligations—worship of the gods, honoring guests, and performing ancestral rites—rather than toward selfish ends.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha, speaking in the episode, identifies the cow as especially suitable for ritual and duty-bound purposes, emphasizing its role in offerings connected with gods, guests, and ancestors.