Shloka 18

Adhyāya 6: Kaṅka (Yudhiṣṭhira) Seeks Refuge in Virāṭa’s Assembly

Devanagari script

कृतानुयात्रा भूतैस्त्वं वरदा कामचारिणि । भारावतारे ये च त्वां संस्मरिष्यन्ति मानवा:

Transliteration

kṛtānuyātrā bhūtaiś tvaṃ varadā kāmacāriṇi | bhārāvatāre ye ca tvāṃ saṃsmariṣyanti mānavāḥ ||

Translation

ಇಚ್ಛೆಯಂತೆ ಸಂಚರಿಸುವ ದೇವಿಯೇ! ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ಅನುಸರಿಸುವ ಭೂತ-ಪ್ರಾಣಿಗಳಿಗೆ ನೀನು ವರಗಳನ್ನು ನೀಡುವೆ. ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ತಮ್ಮ ಮೇಲೆ ಬಿದ್ದ ಆಪತ್ತಿನ ಭಾರವನ್ನು ಇಳಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ಸ್ಮರಿಸುವ ಮಾನವರು,

Word by Word

• कृता: having been made / done
• कृता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु, क्त)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अनुयात्रा: following, attendance, accompanying
• अनुयात्रा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुयात्रा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भूतैः: by beings / by creatures
• भूतैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• वरदा: giver of boons
• वरदा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरद
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• कामचारिणि: O one who moves at will
• कामचारिणि: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामचारिणी (काम + चारिन्)
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• भारावतारे: in (the act of) removing the burden / at the burden’s descent
• भारावतारे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारावतार (भार + अवतार)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• त्वाम्: you (as object)
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• संस्मरिष्यन्ति: will remember
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्मृ
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• मानवाः: men / humans
• मानवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• a goddess (varadā, kāmacāriṇī; unnamed in this verse)
• bhūta (beings/creatures)
• mānavāḥ (humans)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes śaraṇāgati through smaraṇa: remembering and honoring a benevolent divine power in times of crisis is portrayed as a means to remove the ‘burden’ of suffering and to gain life-supporting goods (offspring, wealth, grain). Ethically, it frames devotion as a stabilizing refuge that restores hope and order amid adversity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a goddess characterized as freely roaming and a giver of boons. He states that beings follow her, and that humans who remember her to overcome pressing troubles will find prosperity and desired outcomes readily attainable.