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Shloka 4

त्रिवर्गमूलनिश्चयः — Determining the Roots of Dharma, Artha, and Kāma

Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 123

तदाप्रभृति राजेन्द्र ऋषिभि: संशितव्रतै: । मुञ्जपृष्ठ इति प्रोक्त: स देशो रुद्रसेवित:,राजेन्द्र! वह स्थान सुवर्णमय पर्वत सुमेरुके समीपवर्ती हिमालयके शिखरपर है, जहाँ मुंजावटमें परशुरामजीने अपनी जटाएँ बाँधनेका आदेश दिया था। तभीसे कठोर व्रतका पालन करनेवाले ऋषियोंने उस रुद्रसेवित प्रदेशको मुंजपृष्ठ नाम दे दिया

tadāprabhṛti rājendra ṛṣibhiḥ saṃśitavrataiḥ | muñjapṛṣṭha iti proktaḥ sa deśo rudrasevitaḥ ||

રાજેન્દ્ર! ત્યારથી કઠોર વ્રતોથી સંયમિત ઋષિઓએ રુદ્રસેવિત તે પ્રદેશને ‘મુંજપૃષ્ઠ’ કહીને સંબોધ્યો.

तदाthen
तदा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा
आप्रभृतिfrom that time onward
आप्रभृति:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootआप्रभृति
राजेन्द्रO best of kings
राजेन्द्र:
TypeNoun
Rootराजेन्द्र
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
ऋषिभिःby sages
ऋषिभिः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootऋषि
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
संशितव्रतैःof strict/firm vows
संशितव्रतैः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootसंशितव्रत
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
मुञ्जपृष्ठः"Muñja-back" (name of the place)
मुञ्जपृष्ठः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमुञ्जपृष्ठ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
इतिthus
इति:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति
प्रोक्तःwas called/said
प्रोक्तः:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-वच्
FormPassive (PPP), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
सःthat (he/it)
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
देशःregion/place
देशः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदेश
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
रुद्रसेवितःfrequented/served by Rudra (Śiva)
रुद्रसेवितः:
TypeAdjective
Rootरुद्रसेवित
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
R
Rudra (Śiva)
M
Muñjapṛṣṭha (place)
Ṛṣis (sages)
R
Rājendra (the king addressed, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights how disciplined sages preserve sacred memory: a place becomes ethically and spiritually significant through austerity (vrata) and devotion to Rudra, and its very name records that sanctity for later generations.

Bhīṣma explains to the king that, from a particular earlier event, strict-vowed sages began calling a certain region ‘Muñjapṛṣṭha’, describing it as a land associated with and sanctified by Rudra (Śiva).