Shloka 101

मातङ्ग–शक्रसंवादः

Mataṅga–Śakra Dialogue on Tapas, Status, and Moral Qualities

Devanagari script

तव मम च गुणैर्महानुभावा जुषतु मतिं सतत स्वधर्मयुक्तै: । अभिमतजनवत्सला हि गड्जा जगति युनक्ति सुखैश्ष भक्तिमन्तम्‌

Transliteration

tava mama ca guṇair mahānubhāvā juṣatu matiṁ satataṁ svadharmayuktaiḥ | abhimatajanavatsalā hi gaṅgā jagati yuṅkte sukhaiḥ bhaktimantam ||

Translation

Puisse la grande déesse Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā), à l’âme vaste et à la puissance immense, par des vertus accordées au dharma de chacun, affiner et affermir sans cesse l’intelligence, la tienne comme la mienne. Car Gaṅgā est véritablement tendre envers ceux qui lui sont chers : dans le monde, elle comble ses dévots de bonheur et de bien-être.

Word by Word

• {'tava': 'of you, your', 'mama': 'of me, my', 'ca': 'and', 'guṇaiḥ': 'by virtues, qualities', 'mahānubhāvā': 'great-souled, of great majesty (feminine

• referring to the goddess/river)', 'juṣatu': 'may (she) favor

• may (she) cultivate', 'matiṁ': 'understanding, mind, discernment', 'satataṁ': 'always, continually', 'svadharma-yuktaiḥ': 'endowed with (what is) consistent with one’s own dharma

• joined to rightful personal duty', 'abhimata-jana-vatsalā': 'tender/affectionate like a parent toward beloved people', 'hi': 'indeed, surely', 'gaṅgā': 'Gaṅgā (the river-goddess)', 'jagati': 'in the world', 'yuṅkte': 'joins, yokes

• brings about', 'sukhaiḥ': 'with happinesses

• by means of comforts and joys', 'bhaktimantam': 'the devoted person

• one possessed of bhakti (devotion)', 'bhagavatī': 'the Blessed Lady

• venerable goddess', 'bhāgīrathī': 'Bhāgīrathī (epithet of Gaṅgā, connected with King Bhagiratha)'}

Speaker

सिद्ध उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Siddha (speaker)
• Gaṅgā
• Bhāgīrathī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that right understanding (mati) should be shaped by virtues consistent with one’s own dharma (svadharma). It also emphasizes bhakti: the Goddess Gaṅgā, famed for affection toward devotees, supports and uplifts them—linking ethical living with devotional grace.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Siddha offers a benedictory statement invoking Gaṅgā/Bhāgīrathī. He prays that she continually guide the minds of both speaker and listener toward dharma-aligned virtues, and he praises her as bhaktavatsalā—one who makes devotees prosper and remain joyful.