Shloka 20

Uttarā-diśā Māhātmya — Suparṇa’s Praise of the Northern Quarter

Suparṇa–Gālava Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

एष ते पकश्िमो मार्गो दिग्द्वारेण प्रकीर्तित: । ब्रूहि गालव गच्छावो बुद्धि: का द्विजसत्तम,द्विजश्रेष्ठ गालव! इस प्रकार मैंने तुम्हें संक्षेपसे पश्चिमका मार्ग बताया है। अब बताओ, तुम्हारा क्या विचार है? हम दोनों किस दिशाकी ओर चलें?

Transliteration

eṣa te paścimo mārgo digdvāreṇa prakīrtitaḥ | brūhi gālava gacchāvo buddhiḥ kā dvijasattama ||

Translation

Voici la route de l’Occident que je t’ai brièvement décrite, indiquée par sa porte de direction. Dis-moi maintenant, ô Gālava, le meilleur des deux-fois-nés : quel est ton jugement ? Vers quel côté devons-nous, tous deux, nous mettre en marche ?

Word by Word

एषःthis

तेfor you / your

पश्चिमःwestern

मार्गःpath

दिग्द्वारेणby the gate/entrance of the quarter (direction)

प्रकीर्तितःhas been declared / described

ब्रूहिtell (me)

गालवO Galava

गच्छावःwe two go / shall we two go

बुद्धिःthought / intention

काwhat

द्विजसत्तमO best of the twice-born

Speaker

युपर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yūparṇa

Gālava

paścima-mārga (western route)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights prudent deliberation after receiving guidance: once a route is explained, the next ethical step is to consult judgment (buddhi) and decide jointly, rather than acting impulsively.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yūparṇa has just outlined the western path for Gālava and then asks him to state his decision—specifically, which direction they should take together from this point.