Shloka 22

Bhāgīratha’s Tapas and the Petition to Gaṅgā (गङ्गावतरण-प्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

भूय एव महीं कृत्स्नां विचेतुमुपचक्रमु: । अथापश्यन्त ते वीरा: पृथिवीमवदारिताम्‌,तब वे पिताके पास आकर उनके आगे हाथ जोड़कर बोले--'“महाराज! हमने आपकी आज्ञासे समुद्र, वन, द्वीप, नदी, नद, कन्दरा, पर्वत और वन्य प्रदेशोंसहित सारी पृथ्वी खोज डाली, परंतु हमें न तो अश्व मिला न उसका चुरानेवाला ही।” युधिष्ठिर![ उनकी यह बात सुनकर राजा सगर क्रोधसे मूर्च्छित हो उठे और उस समय दैववश उन सबसे इस प्रकार बोले--“'जाओ, लौटकर न आना। पुनः घोड़ेका पता लगाओ। पुत्रो! उस यज्ञके अश्वको लिये बिना वापस न आना।” पिताका वह संदेश शिरोधार्य करके सगरपुत्रोंने फिर सारी पृथ्वीपर अश्वको ढूँढ़ना आरम्भ किया। तदनन्तर उन वीरोंने एक स्थानपर पृथ्वीमें दरार पड़ी हुई देखी

Transliteration

bhūya eva mahīṁ kṛtsnāṁ vicetum upacakramuḥ | athāpaśyanta te vīrāḥ pṛthivīm avadāritām ||

Translation

Once again they set out to search the entire earth. Then those heroic men beheld the ground split open—an ominous sign that their relentless quest for the sacrificial horse was driving them beyond ordinary bounds, toward a deeper, fated discovery.

Word by Word

भूयःagain, once more

एवindeed, just

महीम्the earth

कृत्स्नाम्entire, whole

विचेतुम्to search, to investigate

उपचक्रमुःthey began, they set about

अथthen

अपश्यन्तthey saw

तेthose, they

वीराःheroes, brave men

पृथिवीम्the earth

अवदारिताम्torn open, split

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sagara (context)

Sagara’s sons (context)

sacrificial horse (aśva) (context)

Earth (pṛthivī/mahī)

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?

The verse highlights perseverance in carrying out a commanded duty, while also hinting at the moral tension of relentless pursuit driven by royal anger and ambition; the ‘earth split open’ foreshadows that actions in the name of duty can lead into grave, fated consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sagara’s sons resume their search across the whole earth for the missing sacrificial horse; during this renewed search they notice the earth cleft open at a particular place, indicating a significant turning point in their quest.