Shloka 50

सरस्वतीतीर्थानुक्रमः — बलरामस्य तीर्थयात्रा

Sarasvatī Tīrtha Itinerary — Balarāma’s Pilgrimage

Devanagari script

उवाच परुष॑ वाक्यं शशाप च महातपा: । पशुलुब्धौ युवां यस्मान्मामुत्सृज्य प्रधाविती

Transliteration

uvāca paruṣaṃ vākyaṃ śaśāpa ca mahātapāḥ | paśulubdhau yuvāṃ yasmān mām utsṛjya pradhāvitī ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: The great ascetic spoke harsh words and pronounced a curse: “Because you two, driven by craving for game, ran off abandoning me…”

Word by Word

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• परुषम्: harsh
• परुषम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परुष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वाक्यम्: speech/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शशाप: cursed
• शशाप: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• महातपाः: the great ascetic (one of great austerity)
• महातपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महातपस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पशुलुब्धौ: O you two greedy for cattle/animals
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पशुलुब्ध
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Dual

• युवाम्: you two
• युवाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• यस्मात्: because/from which (reason)
• यस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उत्सृज्य: having abandoned/left behind
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-√सृज्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• प्रधाविती: you two run forth/hasten
• प्रधाविती: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√धाव्
• Form: Present (Laṭ), 2, Dual, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• mahātapāḥ (a great ascetic)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a dharmic principle: abandoning one’s responsibility due to greed (here, the lure of hunting/game) is a moral failing that invites serious consequences, symbolized by the ascetic’s curse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that a great ascetic, angered by being left behind when two people ran off in pursuit of game, speaks harshly and issues a curse, setting up a cause-and-effect turn in the story.