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Shloka 1

Preparations for the Churning of the Ocean

Prelude to Samudra Manthana

Devanagari script

शौनक उवाच । समुद्रमथनं सूत पुरा कस्मात्कृतं गुरो । हृदये कौतुकं जातं श्रोतुं मे वद चामरैः

Transliteration

śaunaka uvāca | samudramathanaṃ sūta purā kasmātkṛtaṃ guro | hṛdaye kautukaṃ jātaṃ śrotuṃ me vada cāmaraiḥ

Translation

Śaunaka dijo: Oh Sūta, venerable maestro, ¿por qué se realizó en tiempos antiguos el batido del océano? En mi corazón ha surgido el anhelo; dímelo, pues deseo oírlo, junto con el relato de los inmortales.

Word by Word
शौनकःŚaunaka
शौनकः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootशौनक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
समुद्रमथनम्the churning of the ocean
समुद्रमथनम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootसमुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मथन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (समुद्रस्य मथनम्)
सूतO Sūta
सूत:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootसूत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन
पुराformerly, in ancient times
पुरा:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुरा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)
कस्मात्from what cause? why?
कस्मात्:
Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन
कृतम्done, performed
कृतम्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त)
Formकृत-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थं (passive sense)
गुरोO teacher
गुरो:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootगुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (गुरो इति)
हृदयेin (my) heart
हृदये:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootहृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन
कौतुकम्curiosity
कौतुकम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन
जातम्has arisen
जातम्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootजन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भावे (state: 'has arisen')
श्रोतुम्to hear
श्रोतुम्:
Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु (धातु) → श्रोतुम् (तुमुन्-प्रत्यय)
Formतुमुनन्त (Infinitive), प्रयोजनार्थक (purpose)
मेmy, for me
मे:
Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (enclitic)
वदtell (me)
वद:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवद् (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
चand
च:
Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
अमरैःby/with the gods
अमरैः:
Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootअमर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन
Speaker

Śaunaka

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: कस्मात्कृतम् = कस्मात् + कृतम्; चामरैः = च + अमरैः.

Characters & Entities
Ś
Śaunaka
S
Sūta
A
Amaras (Devas)

FAQs

Śaunaka asks Sūta to explain the reason (kasmāt) the churning of the ocean (samudra-manthana) was undertaken in ancient times, and to narrate it in connection with the devas (amaras).

The verse explicitly marks Śaunaka as the speaker (śaunaka uvāca), addressing Sūta, the traditional Purāṇic narrator.

It signals a transition into a cosmological-legendary episode—Samudra Manthana—framed as a didactic inquiry driven by spiritual curiosity and a desire to hear the devas’ account.

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