Shloka 39

Adhyāya 6: Pañca-mahābhūta–guṇa-nirdeśa and Sudarśana-dvīpa

Five Elements, Sensory Qualities, and a Cosmographic Island

Devanagari script

उत्तरोत्तरमेते भ्यो वर्षमुद्रिच्यते गुणै: । आयु:प्रमाणमारोग्यं धर्मतः कामतो<र्थत:,भारतसे आरम्भ करके ये सभी वर्ष आयुके प्रमाण, आरोग्य, धर्म, अर्थ और काम-- इन सभी दृष्टियोंसे गुणोंमें उत्तरोत्तर बढ़ते गये हैं

Transliteration

uttarottaram etebhyo varṣam udṛcyate guṇaiḥ | āyuḥ-pramāṇam ārogyaṃ dharmataḥ kāmato 'rthataḥ |

Translation

હે ભારત! આ પૂર્વવર્તી વર્ષોથી આગળ વધતાં, દરેક અનુગામી વર્ષ ગુણોમાં ઉત્તરોत्तर શ્રેષ્ઠ બનતું ગયું—આયુષ્યના પ્રમાણથી, આરોગ્યથી, તથા ધર્મ, અર્થ અને કામના લાભથી. આ રીતે કાળનો પ્રવાહ શુભ ગુણો સાથે વધતો રહ્યો.

Word by Word

उत्तर-उत्तरम्successively, each following (more and more)

एतेभ्यःfrom these

वर्षम्the year (period/age)

उदृच्यतेis increased, grows

गुणैःby qualities, in virtues

आयुः-प्रमाणम्measure/extent of lifespan

आरोग्यम्health

धर्मतःin terms of dharma; from the standpoint of righteousness

कामतःin terms of desire/pleasure

अर्थतःin terms of wealth/prosperity

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames well-being as multi-dimensional: true ‘increase’ is not only longevity and health, but also growth in dharma (right conduct), artha (ordered prosperity), and kāma (legitimate enjoyment). It implies that ethical order (dharma) is a primary lens for judging the quality of time and life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as Bhārata), describing a progression in which successive periods/years are said to become increasingly endowed with auspicious qualities—longevity, health, and the three human aims (dharma, artha, kāma).