Shloka 62

The Account and Merit of Śivadūtī

with the Nāga-tīrtha at Puṣkara

Devanagari script

एवमुद्दिश्य पंचाग्निं साधयामास भामिनी । तस्याः कालांतरे देव्यास्तपंत्यास्तप उत्तमम्

Transliteration

evamuddiśya paṃcāgniṃ sādhayāmāsa bhāminī | tasyāḥ kālāṃtare devyāstapaṃtyāstapa uttamam

Translation

かくして五火の苦行を修めんと決し、光輝ある女はそれを成就した。時が移り、女神がなおも苦行を続けるにつれ、そのタパスは最上にして比類なき烈しさとなった。

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Prakāra (प्रकार/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• uddiśya: having aimed at / intending
• uddiśya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-diś (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: absolutive/gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), from √diś with upasarga ud-, ‘having indicated/aimed at’

• pañca-agniṃ: the five-fire (penance)
• pañca-agniṃ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca + agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); dvigu-samāsa ‘five fires’

• sādhayāmāsa: practised / performed
• sādhayāmāsa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sādh (धातु)
• Form: Periphrastic perfect (लिट्/परस्मैपद-परिप्रयोग), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); ‘caused to be accomplished/practised’

• bhāminī: the woman (Bhāminī)
• bhāminī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāminī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; ‘the lady’

• tasyāḥ: of her
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; pronoun ‘of her’

• kāla-antare: in the course of time / later
• kāla-antare: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; tatpuruṣa ‘in the interval of time’

• devyāḥ: of the goddess/lady
• devyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; ‘of the देवी’

• tapantyāḥ: of (her) doing penance
• tapantyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tap (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: present active participle (शतृ), Feminine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; ‘of (her) who is performing austerity’

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; object of implied verb (e.g., ‘performed’)

• uttamam: supreme
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; agrees with tapaḥ

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; specific dialogue speaker not identifiable from this single verse alone)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: mountain

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: evamuddiśya → evam + uddiśya; pañcāgniṃ → pañca + agniṃ (dvigu); kālāṃtare → kāla + antare; devyāstapantyāstapa → devyāḥ + tapantyāḥ + tapaḥ.

FAQs

What is pañcāgni (the five-fire austerity) mentioned in this verse?

Pañcāgni is a severe ascetic practice where the practitioner sits amid four fires in the four directions while the sun blazes overhead as the ‘fifth fire,’ symbolizing intense self-discipline and heat-bearing endurance for spiritual attainment.

How does this verse portray the progression of tapas (austerity)?

It emphasizes continuity and escalation: over time, sustained practice matures into ‘tapaḥ uttamam’—a penance described as supremely intense or exalted.

What ethical or spiritual lesson is implied by this shloka?

The verse highlights steadfast resolve and perseverance: spiritual goals are reached through sustained, disciplined effort rather than brief enthusiasm.