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Shloka 176

द्रोणेन दुर्योधनस्य कवचबन्धनम् — Drona’s Mantra-Bound Armor for Duryodhana

Devanagari script

छिन्नप्ररोहणं दुग्धं पात्रमौदुम्बरं शुभम्‌ । उस समय गोरूपधारिणी पृथ्वी वात्सल्य-स्नेहसे परिपूर्ण हो बछड़े, दुहनेवाले और दुग्धपात्रकी इच्छा करती हुई खड़ी हो गयी। वनस्पतियोंमेंसे खिला हुआ शालवृक्ष बछड़ा हो गया। पाकरका पेड़ दुहनेवाला बन गया। गूलर सुन्दर दुग्धपात्रका काम देने लगा। कटनेपर पुन: पनप जाना यही दूध था

Transliteration

chinnaprarohaṇaṃ dugdhaṃ pātram audumbaraṃ śubham |

Translation

Nārada said: “The milk was that which sprouts again after being cut; and the auspicious vessel for that milk was an udumbara (cluster-fig) bowl.” In the narrative frame, the Earth—taking the form of a cow and filled with maternal affection—stands ready, seeking a calf, a milker, and a vessel, so that her bounty may be drawn in a dharmic way. The ‘milk’ here signifies renewable sustenance: what can be taken without destroying the source, emphasizing restraint and right use of nature’s gifts.

Word by Word

छिन्नcut, severed

प्ररोहणम्sprouting again, regrowth

दुग्धम्milk

पात्रम्vessel, container

औदुम्बरम्made of udumbara (fig wood)

शुभम्auspicious, beautiful

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Pṛthivī (Earth) as a cow

Udumbara (cluster-fig) vessel

Śāla tree (as calf, per the prose context)

Pākara tree (as milker, per the prose context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Resources should be taken in a way that preserves renewal: the ‘milk’ is regrowth after cutting, symbolizing sustainable, restrained enjoyment aligned with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the wider episode, the Earth appears as a cow seeking a calf, a milker, and a vessel; here Nārada specifies that the milk is regenerative growth and the vessel is an auspicious udumbara container.