Shloka 3
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 101: Bhogavatī-varṇana, Nāga-vaṃśa-kathana, and Sumukha-vivāha-prastāva
ये सुरभि पृथ्वीके सारतत्त्वसे प्रकट, छः रसोंके सारभागसे संयुक्त एवं सर्वोत्तम, अनिर्वचनीय एकरसरूप क्षीरको सदा अपने स्तनोंसे प्रवाहित करती रहती हैं ।।
amṛtenābhitṛptasya sāram udgirataḥ purā | pitāmahasya vadanād udatīṣṭha daninditā ||
Nārada berkata, “Wahai yang tak bercela, dahulu kala ketika Pitāmaha Brahmā, setelah puas oleh amṛta, melafalkan sari hakikat (ciptaan), dari mulutnya bangkitlah itu. Surabhī—terbit dari sari bumi, berpadu dengan inti enam rasa—senantiasa mengalirkan dari putingnya susu yang satu rasa, tak terkatakan, dan paling utama.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames nourishment (milk/essence) as divinely sourced and intrinsically pure, suggesting that sustaining life and social order depends on preserving what is ‘sāra’—the best, ethical essence—rather than pursuing mere power or conflict.
Nārada recounts an ancient origin account: from Brahmā, satisfied with amṛta and speaking forth the essence, a wondrous substance (linked with Surabhi’s ever-flowing milk) is said to have arisen, emphasizing a sacred provenance for life-sustaining abundance.