Shloka 58

Pṛthu’s Earth-Milking, the Etymology of ‘Pṛthivī,’ and the Vaivasvata (Solar) Genealogy

Devanagari script

तमुवाच ततस्त्वष्टा सांत्वपूर्वमिदं वचः । तवासहंती भगवंस्तेजस्तीव्रं तमोनुद

Transliteration

tamuvāca tatastvaṣṭā sāṃtvapūrvamidaṃ vacaḥ | tavāsahaṃtī bhagavaṃstejastīvraṃ tamonuda

Translation

Then Tvaṣṭṛ spoke to him, first with gentle reassurance: “O Blessed One, dispeller of darkness, I cannot endure your fierce, intense radiance.”

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: then/from that)

• त्वष्टा: Tvaṣṭṛ
• त्वष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• सांत्वपूर्वम्: with conciliation first, soothingly
• सांत्वपूर्वम्: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सांत्व + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying vacaḥ)

• वचः: speech, words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन

• असहन्ती: not enduring, unable to bear
• असहन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सह् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रातिपदिक; वर्तमानकृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; विशेषणम् (qualifying saṃjñā understood)

• भगवन्: O Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन

• तेजः: splendor, radiance
• तेजः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• तीव्रम्: intense
• तीव्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying tejaḥ)

• तमोनुद: O dispeller of darkness
• तमोनुद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् + नुद् (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहिः/उपाधि as vocative epithet)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; संबोधन-पदम् (epithet: 'darkness-dispeller')

Speaker

Tvaṣṭṛ

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: तमुवाच = तम् + उवाच; ततस्त्वष्टा = ततः + त्वष्टा; सांत्वपूर्वमिदम् = सांत्वपूर्वम् + इदम्; भगवंस्तेजः = भगवन् + तेजः

Characters & Entities

• Tvaṣṭṛ

FAQs

Who is speaking in this verse, and what is the tone of the speech?

Tvaṣṭṛ is speaking, and the verse explicitly says his words are sāṃtvapūrvam—preceded by soothing, conciliatory reassurance.

What does the epithet “tamonuda” convey in this context?

“Tamonuda” means “dispeller of darkness,” indicating a being whose radiance (tejas) is so powerful it drives away ignorance or obscurity—both literally and symbolically.

What ethical or philosophical lesson is implied by Tvaṣṭṛ’s inability to endure the tejas?

It suggests that immense power and brilliance can overwhelm others; even divine qualities may need to be tempered or mediated so they can be approached, received, or sustained without harm.