Shloka 29

उच्चैःश्रवसः वर्णविपणः तथा नागशापः

Uccaiḥśravas Color-Wager and the Nāga Curse

Devanagari script

ततो ब्रह्माणमासीनं देवा वरदमन्रुवन्‌ । भ्रान्ता: सम सुभृशं ब्रह्मन्‌ नोद्भवत्यमृतं च तत्‌,तब देवतालोग वहाँ बैठे हुए वरदायक ब्रह्माजीसे बोले--'ब्रह्मन! भगवान्‌ नारायणके अतिरिक्त हम सभी देवता और दानव बहुत थक गये हैं; किंतु अभीतक वह अमृत प्रकट नहीं हो रहा है। इधर समुद्रका मन्थन आरम्भ हुए बहुत समय बीत चुका है”

Transliteration

tato brahmāṇam āsīnaṃ devā varadam anvruvan | bhrāntāḥ sma subhṛśaṃ brahman nodbhavaty amṛtaṃ ca tat |

Translation

Then the gods addressed Brahmā, who was seated there and known as the granter of boons: “O Brahman, we are utterly exhausted; yet that nectar has still not arisen. Much time has passed since the churning of the ocean began.”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'tataḥ', 'definition': 'then

• thereafter'}, {'term': 'brahmāṇam', 'definition': 'Brahmā (accusative singular)

• the creator-god'}, {'term': 'āsīnam', 'definition': 'seated

• sitting'}, {'term': 'devāḥ', 'definition': 'the gods'}, {'term': 'varadam', 'definition': 'boon-giver

• granter of favors'}, {'term': 'anvruvan (anu + brū)', 'definition': 'they addressed

• they spoke to'}, {'term': 'bhrāntāḥ sma', 'definition': 'we are wearied/exhausted (idiomatic use indicating present state)'}, {'term': 'subhṛśam', 'definition': 'exceedingly

• very much'}, {'term': 'brahman', 'definition': 'O Brahman (vocative)

• an address to Brahmā as the sacred/creator principle'}, {'term': 'na udbhavati', 'definition': 'does not arise

• does not come forth'}, {'term': 'amṛtam', 'definition': 'nectar of immortality

• ambrosia'}, {'term': 'tat', 'definition': 'that (nectar)

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• शौनक (Śaunaka)
• ब्रह्मा (Brahmā)
• देवाः (the gods)
• अमृत (amṛta, nectar of immortality)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even divine beings face fatigue and delay; when effort alone does not yield results, the tradition highlights seeking wise counsel and aligning action with a higher cosmic order rather than abandoning the undertaking.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the churning of the ocean for amṛta, the gods become exhausted and complain that the nectar has not yet emerged despite a long time passing; they approach the boon-giving Brahmā for guidance.