Shloka 21

मन्दर-समुद्रमन्थन-वर्णनम् / Description of the Churning of the Ocean with Mount Mandara

Devanagari script

प्रतिपालयितव्यस्ते जन्मकालो<5स्थ धीरया

Transliteration

pratipālayitavyas te janmakālo 'sthadhīrayā

Translation

Śaunaka dit : «Le moment de ta naissance doit être préservé et observé avec le plus grand soin, dans une ferme maîtrise de soi.»

Word by Word

• प्रतिपालयितव्यः: to be protected/maintained (ought to be cared for)
• प्रतिपालयितव्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिपालयितव्य (कृदन्त; धातु: प्रति-पाल्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• जन्मकालः: the time of birth
• जन्मकालः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मकाल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अस्थ: you were
• अस्थ: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 2, Singular

• धीरया: by the steadfast/wise (woman)
• धीरया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धीरा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śaunaka

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes disciplined care and steady-mindedness in safeguarding what is significant—here, the ‘time of birth’—suggesting that important moments and duties should be handled with patience and composure rather than haste or negligence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śaunaka addresses the listener, instructing that the birth-time (and what it entails in terms of observance and propriety) should be duly maintained/kept, and that this should be done with a calm, steady disposition.