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Shloka 26

Indratīrtha–Ādityatīrtha: Balarāma’s Ritual Bathing, Dāna, and Sacred-Historical Recollections

तच्चास्या वचन नित्यमवर्तद्धूदि भारत । सर्वथा बदराण्येव पक्तव्यानीति कन्यका

tac cāsyā vacanaṃ nityam avartad dhūdi bhārata | sarvathā badarāṇy eva paktavyānīti kanyakā ||

Vaiśampāyana said: O Bhārata, her statement kept recurring again and again in his mind: “In every way, only jujubes must be cooked,” said the maiden. The passage highlights how a seemingly small instruction, when tied to duty and careful conduct, can become a fixed ethical resolve—insistence on doing the prescribed act exactly as enjoined.

tatthat (statement/thing)
tat:
Karta
TypePronoun
Roottad
Formneuter, nominative, singular
caand
ca:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca
asyāḥof her
asyāḥ:
TypePronoun
Rootidam (pronoun base: asyā-)
Formfeminine, genitive, singular
vacanamspeech; statement
vacanam:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootvacana
Formneuter, nominative, singular
nityamalways; constantly
nityam:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootnitya
avartatkept recurring; went on (being repeated)
avartat:
TypeVerb
Rootvṛt (√vṛt)
Formimperfect (laṅ), 3rd, singular, ātmanepada
dhūdiO Dhūdi (proper name)
dhūdi:
TypeNoun
Rootdhūdi
Formmasculine, vocative, singular
bhārataO Bhārata (descendant of Bharata)
bhārata:
TypeNoun
Rootbhārata
Formmasculine, vocative, singular
sarvathāin every way; by all means
sarvathā:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsarvathā
badarāṇijujubes; badara-fruits
badarāṇi:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootbadara
Formneuter, accusative, plural
evaindeed; only
eva:
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva
paktavyānimust be cooked
paktavyāni:
TypeVerb
Rootpac (√pac) + tavya
Formneuter, nominative, plural, gerundive (tavya), passive obligation
itithus; saying
iti:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti
kanyakāthe maiden; girl
kanyakā:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootkanyakā
Formfeminine, nominative, singular

वैशम्पायन उवाच

V
Vaiśampāyana
B
Bhārata
D
Dhūdi
K
kanyakā (maiden)
B
badara (jujube fruit)

Educational Q&A

The verse underscores fidelity to a prescribed instruction: ethical care is shown by doing what is enjoined exactly as stated, without substitution or negligence, so that duty is fulfilled in the intended manner.

Vaiśampāyana reports that a maiden’s directive—insisting that only jujubes be cooked—kept repeating in someone’s mind, indicating its importance and the pressure to follow her specific instruction precisely.