Shloka 16

Devanagari script

न मानुषीणां जठरं प्रविशेम वयं शुभे । इत्युक्ता तैश्न वसुभिस्तथेत्युक्त्वाब्रवीदिदम्‌,'शुभे! हमें मानुषी स्त्रियोंके उदरमें प्रवेश न करना पड़े, इसीलिये हमने यह अनुरोध किया है।” वसुओंके ऐसा कहनेपर गंगाजी “तथास्तु” कहकर यों बोलीं

Transliteration

na mānuṣīṇāṃ jaṭharaṃ praviśema vayaṃ śubhe | ity uktā tais tu vasubhis tathety uktvābravīd idam ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Addressing her as ‘O auspicious one,’ the Vasus pleaded, “May we not have to enter the womb of human women.” When the Vasus spoke thus, Gaṅgā replied, “So be it,” and then spoke further.

Word by Word

नnot

मानुषीणाम्of human women

जठरम्womb/belly

प्रविशेमmay we enter

वयम्we

शुभेO auspicious one

इतिthus

उक्ताःhaving been spoken / having said

तैःby them

नnot

वसुभिःby the Vasus

तथाso / thus

इतिthus

उक्त्वाhaving said

अब्रवीत्said / spoke

इदम्this

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Vasus

Gaṅgā

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even divine beings are bound by the moral law of actions and consequences; their plea to avoid human birth highlights the burden of embodied existence and the desire to mitigate suffering within the limits of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Vasus, facing the prospect of being born among humans due to a curse, request Gaṅgā that they not have to enter human wombs; Gaṅgā agrees (“tathāstu”) and prepares to explain how this will be accomplished.