Shloka 33

Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity

Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

निष्कैककण्ठमददं योजनायतं तद्विस्तीर्ण काउ्चनपादपानाम्‌ | वन॑ वृतानां रत्नविभूषितानां न चैव तेषामागतो<5हं फलेन

Transliteration

Bhagīratha uvāca | niṣkaikakaṇṭhamadadaṃ yojanāyataṃ tad vistīrṇaṃ kāñcanapādapānām | vanaṃ vṛtānāṃ ratnavibhūṣitānāṃ na caiva teṣām āgato 'haṃ phalena ||

Translation

ಭಗೀರಥನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ನಾನು ಒಂದು ಯೋಜನ ಉದ್ದ-ಅಗಲದ ಚಿನ್ನದ ಪಾದಪಗಳ ಅರಣ್ಯವನ್ನು ದಾನಮಾಡಿದೆ; ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ಮರವು ರತ್ನಗಳಿಂದ ಅಲಂಕರಿತವಾಗಿದ್ದು, ವಸ್ತ್ರಗಳಿಂದ ಆವರಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟು, ಕಂಠದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವರ್ಣಹಾರವನ್ನು ಧರಿಸಿತ್ತು. ಆದರೂ ಆ ದಾನದ ಫಲದಿಂದಲೂ ನಾನು ಈ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಗೆ ಬಂದಿಲ್ಲ.

Word by Word

• निष्क-एक-कण्ठ-मददं: having a single neck adorned with a gold necklace
• निष्क-एक-कण्ठ-मददं: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्क + एक + कण्ठ + मदद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• योजनायतम्: a yojana in length
• योजनायतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योजन + आयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विस्तीर्णम्: spread out, wide
• विस्तीर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्तीर्ण (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √स्तॄ/स्तृ)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• काञ्चन-पादपानाम्: of golden trees
• काञ्चन-पादपानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काञ्चन + पादप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• वनम्: a forest
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वृतानाम्: covered, wrapped
• वृतानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √वृ)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• रत्न-विभूषितानाम्: adorned with jewels
• रत्न-विभूषितानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत्न + विभूषित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √भूष्)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• तेषाम्: of those (gifts/deeds)
• तेषाम्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• आगतः: having come
• Type: Verb
• Root: आगत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √गम्)
• Form: Perfective participle (past), Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Common, Nominative, Singular

• फलेन: by/through (its) fruit/result
• फलेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

भगीरथ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhagīratha
• forest (vana)
• trees (pādapa)
• gold ornaments/necklaces (niṣka)
• jewels (ratna)
• cloth coverings (vṛta)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even extraordinarily lavish charity (dāna) does not automatically guarantee the highest attainment; the verse stresses the limits of merit from external gifts and invites reflection on intention, right means, and deeper spiritual or ethical qualifications beyond sheer magnitude of donation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhagīratha recounts a spectacular act of giving—a vast forest of trees ornamented with gold and jewels—then admits that despite such generosity he still has not reached the desired goal or state, using his own example to underscore a moral point about the complexity of karmic results.