Shloka 23

Vasiṣṭhāpavāha: Sarasvatī’s Diversion and Viśvāmitra’s Curse (वसिष्ठापवाहः)

Devanagari script

निपत्य शिरसा भूमौ प्राउ्जलिर्भरतर्षभ । प्रसादये त्वां भगवन्नपराध॑ क्षमस्व मे

Transliteration

nipatya śirasā bhūmau prāñjalir bharatarṣabha | prasādaye tvāṃ bhagavann aparādhaṃ kṣamasva me | krodhena mahatāviṣṭo dharmātmā vai pratāpavān ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : «Ô taureau parmi les Bharata, tombant la tête contre terre et les mains jointes en signe de révérence, il parla ainsi : “Ô Seigneur bienheureux, je cherche à t’apaiser. Pardonne ma faute…”»

Word by Word

• nipatya: having fallen down
• nipatya: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√pat
• Form: ktvā (absolutive/gerund), parasmaipada (usage), non-finite

• śirasā: with (his) head
• śirasā: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• bhūmau: on the ground
• bhūmau: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi
• Form: feminine, locative, singular

• prāñjaliḥ: with joined palms
• prāñjaliḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāñjali
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• bharatarṣabha: O bull among the Bharatas
• bharatarṣabha: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharatarṣabha
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• prasādaye: I seek to please / I propitiate
• prasādaye: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√sad
• Form: liṭ? (not applicable); actually present-system, present (laṭ), 1st, singular, parasmaipada

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tvad
• Form: —, accusative, singular

• bhagavan: O Lord
• bhagavan: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• aparādham: offence, fault
• aparādham: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: aparādha
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• kṣamasva: forgive
• kṣamasva: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṣam
• Form: imperative (loṭ), 2nd, singular, ātmanepada

• me: of me / my
• me: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: asmad
• Form: —, genitive, singular

• krodhena: by anger
• krodhena: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: krodha
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• mahatā: great
• mahatā: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• āviṣṭaḥ: possessed, seized
• āviṣṭaḥ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√viś
• Form: kta (past passive participle), masculine, nominative, singular

• dharmātmā: righteous-souled one
• dharmātmā: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharmātman
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• vai: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai

• pratāpavān: mighty, powerful
• pratāpavān: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pratāpavat
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bharata (as lineage in the vocative epithet bharatarṣabha)
• Bhagavān (venerable addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds ethical restoration through humility: one who has erred should approach the worthy with reverence, confess the offence, and seek forgiveness—while also warning that even the righteous can be overtaken by intense anger.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates a scene of supplication: a figure prostrates with joined hands and asks a revered person to pardon an offence; the narration then turns to describe a powerful, dharma-minded ascetic who has been seized by great anger.