Shloka 9

Adhyaya 19 — Kartavirya Arjuna at Dattatreya’s Ashram: Boons, Sovereignty, and Vaishnava Praise

Sanskrit

वरं वृणीष्व गुह्यं मे यत् त्वया समुदीरितम् ।

तेन तुष्टिः परा जाता त्वय्यद्य मम पार्थिव ॥

Transliteration

varaṃ vṛṇīṣva guhyaṃ me yat tvayā samudīritam / tena tuṣṭiḥ parā jātā tvayy adya mama pārthiva

Translation

ຈົ່ງເລືອກພອນ. ສິ່ງທີ່ເຈົ້າໄດ້ກ່າວນັ້ນແມ່ນຄວາມລັບ (ຄວາມຈິງ) ຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ; ໂດຍເຫດນັ້ນ ຄວາມພໍໃຈສູງສຸດໄດ້ເກີດຂຶ້ນໃນຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຕໍ່ເຈົ້າໃນວັນນີ້, ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ.

Word by Word

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वृणीष्व: choose
• वृणीष्व: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• गुह्यम्: secret
• गुह्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘varam’)

• मे: my/of me
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; स्वत्व/सम्बन्ध (my)

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun: ‘which/that’)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन

• समुदीरितम्: spoken/declared
• समुदीरितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उद्-ईर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थ: ‘uttered/declared’

• तेन: thereby/for that reason
• तेन: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुं, तृतीया, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (by that/therefore)

• तुष्टिः: satisfaction/pleasure
• तुष्टिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• परा: supreme/great
• परा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘tuṣṭiḥ’)

• जाता: has arisen
• जाता: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘has arisen/been born’

• त्वयि: in you/towards you
• त्वयि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (today/now)

• मम: my/of me
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• पार्थिव: O king/earthly ruler
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speakers

• Dattātreya to Kārtavīrya Arjuna

Primary Deities

• Dattātreya
• Devī (contextual)

Shakti Aspects

• Implicit: recognition of Devī and māyā is treated as ‘guhya’ (esoteric truth)

Key Themes

• Boon-bestowal
• Esoteric truth (guhya)
• Reward for discernment
• Guru’s grace

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Speaking truth with insight—especially about the hidden workings of māyā and śakti—invites grace; boons are framed as responses to inner qualification, not entitlement.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ākhyāna/vaṃśānucarita: the boon motif advances the royal narrative line while embedding theological teaching about ‘guhya’ knowledge.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Guhya’ indicates initiatory knowledge: recognizing the divine behind appearances. The boon becomes a secondary fruit; the primary attainment is validated insight (jñāna) that pierces māyā.