Shloka 1
Adhyāya 108: Paścima-dik—Varuṇa’s Realm, Sunset Cosmology, and Sacred-Geographic Markers
Suparṇa–Gālava संवाद
ऑपनआ कराता बछ। अर: 2 नवाधिकशततमो<्ध्याय: दक्षिणदिशाका वर्णन युपर्ण उवाच इयं विवस्वता पूर्व श्रेतेन विधिना किल । गुरवे दक्षिणा दत्ता दक्षिणेत्युच्यते च दिक्
Yuparṇa uvāca: iyaṁ Vivasvatā pūrvaṁ śreteṇa vidhinā kila | gurave dakṣiṇā dattā dakṣiṇety ucyate ca dik ||
Dijo Yuparṇa: «En tiempos antiguos, se cuenta que este rumbo fue entregado por Vivasvat (el Sol) a su maestro como dakṣiṇā, el honorario prescrito conforme al rito establecido. Por eso se le llama la dirección “del Sur” (dakṣiṇā), pues fue una dakṣiṇā: la dádiva sagrada, la paga del maestro.»
युपर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links sacred geography with dharma: honoring one’s teacher through a proper dakṣiṇā (ritually sanctioned gift) is upheld as an exemplary act, and even the naming of a direction is explained through that ethical-ritual ideal.
Yuparṇa begins a description of the southern quarter (dakṣiṇa-diś) and offers an etymological tradition: it is called ‘dakṣiṇā’ because Vivasvat once gave it as a dakṣiṇā to his guru according to prescribed rites.