Shloka 31

Ajagara-vrata (The ‘Python’ Discipline): Prahrāda Questions a Wandering Sage

Devanagari script

स भुक्तवान्‌ सुविश्रान्तो गौतमो5चिन्तयत्‌ तदा । हाटकस्याभिरूपस्य भारो5यं सुमहान्‌ मया

Transliteration

sa bhuktavān suviśrānto gautamo 'cintayat tadā | hāṭakasyābhirūpasya bhāro 'yaṃ sumahān mayā

Translation

食してよく休んだのち、ガウタマはその時こう思い巡らした。「これはまことに大きな重荷だ――この見事な黄金の塊は。」

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भुक्तवान्: having eaten
• भुक्तवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: क्तवतु (past active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुविश्रान्तः: well-rested
• सुविश्रान्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुविश्रान्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गौतमः: Gautama
• गौतमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अचिन्तयत्: thought/pondered
• अचिन्तयत्: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Parasmaipada, Third, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• हाटकस्य: of gold
• हाटकस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाटक
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अभिरूपस्य: beautiful, well-formed
• अभिरूपस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिरूप
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• भारः: burden/load
• भारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुमहान्: very great
• सुमहान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• gold (hāṭaka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse suggests that wealth, though attractive, can become a moral and practical burden; dharma involves discerning when possession turns into responsibility, anxiety, or attachment.

What is happening in the narrative?

After eating and resting, the sage Gautama pauses to reflect and recognizes that the beautiful gold he has acquired or is carrying constitutes a heavy burden for him.