Shloka 19
द्रोणेन दुर्योधनस्य कवचबन्धनम् — Drona’s Mantra-Bound Armor for Duryodhana
रत्नान्योषधयो दुग्धं पात्रमश्ममयं तथा । पर्वतोंमें उदयाचल बछड़ा, महागिरि मेरु दुहनेवाला, रतन और ओषधि दूध तथा प्रस्तर ही दुग्धपात्र था ।। दोग्धा चासीत् तदा देवो दुग्धमूर्जस्करं प्रियम्,देवताओंमें भी उस समय कोई दुहनेवाला और कोई बछड़ा बन गया। उन्होंने पुष्टिकारक अमृतमय प्रिय दूध दुह लिया
ratnāny oṣadhayo dugdhaṃ pātram aśmamayaṃ tathā | parvateṣv udayācalaḥ vatsalo mahāgiri-merur dughā ratna-oṣadhi-dugdhaṃ ca pātram aśmamayaṃ || dogdhā cāsīt tadā devo dugdham ūrjaskaraṃ priyam | devatāsu api tadā kaścid dogdhā kaścid vatsalo 'bhavat te 'mṛtamayaṃ puṣṭikaraṃ priyaṃ dugdhaṃ duduhuḥ ||
Nārada said: “In that ancient ‘churning’ of the mountains, the Udayācala became the calf, and the great mountain Meru became the milker. The ‘milk’ obtained was jewels and healing herbs, and the vessel for collecting it was made of stone. Likewise among the gods, at that time one became the milker and another the calf; and they drew forth a beloved, strength-giving ‘milk’—nectar-like and nourishing.” Ethically, the passage frames prosperity (gems) and wellbeing (medicinal herbs, nectar) as outcomes of ordered cooperation and right arrangement of roles, rather than mere force—an image of dharmic coordination yielding sustenance for the world.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the metaphor of ‘milking’ to show that when roles are properly aligned—calf, milker, and vessel—beneficial essences emerge: wealth (jewels), health (herbs), and vitality (amṛta-like nourishment). It implies that dharmic order and coordinated effort yield sustenance for the world.
Nārada recounts a mythic episode of extracting resources from the mountains: Udayācala functions as the calf, Meru as the milker, and a stone vessel receives the yield. The ‘milk’ is described as jewels and medicinal herbs; similarly, among the gods, designated roles allow them to draw forth a beloved, strength-giving, nectar-like milk.