Shloka 166

Brahmin Conduct, Purificatory Baths, and the Garuḍa–Nectar Episode

Illustrative Narrative

Devanagari script

तेषां मुखे ददौ हृष्टा क्ष्वेडं चामृतलक्षणम् । तानुवाच प्रसूः पुत्रान्युष्माकं च कुले सदा

Transliteration

teṣāṃ mukhe dadau hṛṣṭā kṣveḍaṃ cāmṛtalakṣaṇam | tānuvāca prasūḥ putrānyuṣmākaṃ ca kule sadā

Translation

Dans sa joie, la Mère (Prasū) déposa dans leurs bouches le kṣveḍa, portant les signes mêmes de l’amṛta. Puis elle dit à ses fils : «Que cela demeure à jamais dans votre lignée».

Word by Word

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (generic), षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• mukhe: in the mouth
• mukhe: Adhikaraṇa (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (मुख प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• dadau: gave/placed
• dadau: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• hṛṣṭā: delighted
• hṛṣṭā: Viśeṣaṇa (of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛṣ (हृष् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण (of prasūḥ/kadrūḥ)

• kṣveḍam: hissing sound / kṣveḍa
• kṣveḍam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣveḍa (क्ष्वेड प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• amṛtalakṣaṇam: having the nature/sign of nectar
• amṛtalakṣaṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (of kṣveḍam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amṛta (अमृत प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣaṇa (लक्षण प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: अमृतस्य लक्षणम् (having the mark/nature of nectar)

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (Object of uvāca)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• prasūḥ: the mother
• prasūḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prasū (प्रसू प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘mother’

• putrān: sons
• putrān: Sambodhyā/Karma (addressed sons; object in apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (पुत्र प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• yuṣmākam: of you (pl.)
• yuṣmākam: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (युष्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• kule: in the lineage
• kule: Adhikaraṇa (domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (कुल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (सदा अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Prasū (the Mother/progenitress figure mentioned in the verse)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: ca+amṛtalakṣaṇam → cāmṛtalakṣaṇam; tān+uvāca → tānuvāca; putrān+yuṣmākam → putrānyuṣmākam (n→ny before y).

Characters & Entities

• Prasū

FAQs

What is the central idea of this verse?

A maternal/progenitress figure (Prasū) bestows a nectar-like essence (kṣveḍa) upon her sons and declares it should endure within their lineage.

What does “amṛta-lakṣaṇam” imply here?

It indicates the bestowed substance has the characteristics of amṛta—purity, vitality, and auspiciousness—suggesting a blessing that sustains or sanctifies descendants.

What ethical or cultural value is emphasized?

The verse highlights continuity of blessings through family lines—an emphasis on inheritance of auspicious qualities, responsibility to preserve them, and the sacred dimension of progeny and lineage.