Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तासां शृंगाण्यजायन्त यस्या यादृड़मनोगतम्‌ । नानावर्णा: शृंगवन्त्यस्ता व्यरोचन्त पुत्रक

Transliteration

tāsāṃ śṛṅgāṇy ajāyanta yasyā yādṛg manogatam | nānāvarṇāḥ śṛṅgavatyās tā vyarocanta putraka ||

Translation

Vyāsa said: “On those cows, horns grew in accordance with whatever form each one conceived in her mind. Bearing horns of many different colors, they shone forth beautifully, my child.”

Word by Word

तासाम्of those (females)

शृंगाणिhorns

अजायन्तwere born / arose

यस्याःof which (one female)

यादृक्such as / of what kind

मनोगतम्gone into the mind; imagined; desired

नाना-वर्णाःof various colors

शृंगवन्त्यःhorned; having horns

ताःthose (females)

व्यरोचन्तshone forth; appeared splendid

पुत्रकO dear son

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

cows (tāḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the potency of inner intention and mental conception (manogatam): what is held in the mind can manifest outwardly, suggesting an ethical emphasis on disciplining thought as a foundation for right action and dharmic conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa describes a marvel: among a group of cows, horns arise matching each cow’s own mental conception, and these horns appear in many colors, making the cows look radiant.