Shloka 73

Viśokā Dvādaśī Vow, Guḍa-Dhenū (Jaggery-Cow) Gift, and Śaila-Dāna (Mountain-Charity) Rites

Devanagari script

व्रतानामुत्तमं यस्माद्विशोकद्वादशीव्रतम् । तदंगत्वेन चैवात्र गुडधेनुः प्रशस्यते

Transliteration

vratānāmuttamaṃ yasmādviśokadvādaśīvratam | tadaṃgatvena caivātra guḍadhenuḥ praśasyate

Translation

Parce que le vœu de Viśoka-dvādaśī est le plus excellent parmi les vœux, l’offrande appelée « guḍa-dhenū » (vache faite de jaggery) est ici louée comme un membre essentiel de ce rite.

Word by Word

• व्रतानाम्: of vows
• व्रतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन — ‘of vows’

• उत्तमम्: best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — ‘best/supreme’ (agreeing with व्रतम्)

• यस्मात्: because (from which reason)
• यस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative source/हेतु-अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमीविभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन — ‘because of which/from which’

• विशोकद्वादशीव्रतम्: the Viśoka Dvādaśī vow
• विशोकद्वादशीव्रतम्: Visheshya (Head noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशोक + द्वादशी + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — ‘Viśoka-Dvādaśī vow’ (समासः: द्वादश्याः व्रतम्; विशोक-विशेषणसम्बन्ध)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Anaphoric reference (Pronominal/सर्वनाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — ‘that’ (referring to the vow)

• अङ्गत्वेन: as an auxiliary part
• अङ्गत्वेन: Prakaraṇa/Instrument (Means/प्रकरण-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गत्व (प्रातिपदिक; भाव/तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन — ‘as a limb/auxiliary part’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction) — ‘and’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle) — ‘indeed/only’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place) — ‘here/in this context’

• गुडधेनुः: the jaggery-cow (gift)
• गुडधेनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुड + धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — ‘jaggery-cow (a cow made of jaggery as a gift)’

• प्रशस्यते: is praised
• प्रशस्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — ‘is praised/commended’ (कर्मणि-प्रयोग, passive sense)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa context; exact dialogue pair not provided in the input excerpt)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: व्रतानाम्+उत्तमम्→व्रतानामुत्तमम्; यस्मात्+विशोक…→यस्माद्विशोक… (द्-सन्धि); तत्+अङ्गत्वेन→तदंगत्वेन; च+एव→चैव; गुडधेनुः (समास)

FAQs

What is the main teaching of this verse?

It declares Viśoka Dvādaśī to be the foremost among vows and recommends the guḍa-dhenū (jaggery-cow) gift as a key auxiliary offering within that observance.

What is a “guḍa-dhenū” in ritual terms?

It is a prescribed dāna (ritual gift) fashioned in the form of a cow using guḍa (jaggery), offered as part of the vrata’s supporting rites.

What ethical or devotional value is implied here?

The verse links disciplined observance (vrata) with charitable giving (dāna), implying that devotion is strengthened through both personal restraint and generous ritual gifting.