Shloka 18

Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity

Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

वाजिनां श्यामकर्णानां हरितानां पितामह । प्रादां हेमस्रजां ब्रह्मन्‌ कोटीर्दश च सप्त च

Transliteration

vājināṁ śyāmakarṇānāṁ haritānāṁ pitāmaha | prādāṁ hemasrajāṁ brahman koṭīr daśa ca sapta ca ||

Translation

ഭഗീരഥൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ പിതാമഹാ! കറുത്ത ചെവികളുള്ള, പച്ചനിറഛായയുള്ള കുതിരകളെ ഞാൻ ദാനമായി നൽകി; ഹേ ബ്രാഹ്മണാ! സ്വർണമാലകളുടെ പത്തും ഏഴും—അഥവാ പതിനേഴു—കോടിയും ഞാൻ അർപ്പിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• वाजिनाम्: of horses
• वाजिनाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• श्यामकर्णानाम्: of black-eared (ones)
• श्यामकर्णानाम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्यामकर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• हरितानाम्: of greenish/bay (ones)
• हरितानाम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरित
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• पितामह: O grandsire
• पितामह: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रादाम्: I gave
• प्रादाम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (प्र-दा)
• Form: Aorist (simple past), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• हेमस्रजाम्: golden garlands
• हेमस्रजाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमस्रज्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कोटीः: crores (tens of millions)
• कोटीः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana
• Type: Numeral
• Root: दश
• Form: true

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: true

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana
• Type: Numeral
• Root: सप्त
• Form: true

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: true

Speaker

भगीरथ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhagīratha
• pitāmaha (Grandsire)
• brahman (a Brahman/sage addressee)
• horses (vājin)
• golden garlands (hemasraj)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dāna as a royal and ethical duty: lavish, well-specified gifts (valuable horses and golden garlands) are presented as acts that generate merit and uphold dharma when offered in a proper spirit to worthy recipients.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhagīratha is recounting the scale and nature of his gifts—describing particular horses and an immense number of golden garlands—addressing a revered elder (“pitāmaha”) and a Brahman/sage, in the context of discourse on charitable giving.