Shloka 5

Adhyāya 118: Saciva-parīkṣā

Testing and Appointment of Ministers/Servants

Devanagari script

ततः: कमलषण्डानि शललकीगहनानि च । व्यचरत्‌ स मुदायुक्तः पद्मरेणुविभूषित:,तदनन्तर वह हाथी कमलोंके परागसे विभूषित और आनन्दित हो कमलसमूहों तथा शल्लकी लताकी झाड़ियोंमें विचरने लगा

Transliteration

tataḥ kamalaṣaṇḍāni śalalakīgahanāni ca | vyacarat sa mudāyuktaḥ padmareṇuvibhūṣitaḥ ||

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം ആ ഗജം താമരപ്പൊടിയിൽ അലങ്കരിക്കപ്പെട്ട് ആനന്ദത്തോടെ താമരക്കൂട്ടങ്ങൾക്കിടയിലും ശലലകീ വള്ളികൾ കനത്ത കാട്ടുപിടിപ്പുള്ളിടങ്ങളിലും വിഹരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय

• कमलषण्डानि: clusters of lotuses
• कमलषण्डानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमलषण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• शललकीगहनानि: thickets dense with śalalakī (a creeper/plant)
• शललकीगहनानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शललकीगहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: अव्यय

• व्यचरत्: roamed, wandered about
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चर् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सः: he (that one)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुदायुक्तः: endowed with joy, delighted
• मुदायुक्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुदा + युक्त (युक्त—कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पद्मरेणुविभूषितः: adorned with lotus-pollen
• पद्मरेणुविभूषितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद्मरेणु + विभूषित (विभूषित—कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• elephant
• lotus clusters (kamalaṣaṇḍa)
• lotus pollen (padmareṇu)
• śalalakī creeper thickets

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Through a tranquil natural image—an elephant joyfully roaming among lotuses—the passage suggests the value of serenity and harmony with one’s proper environment, implicitly contrasting peaceful contentment with agitated, desire-driven wandering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes an elephant that, dusted with lotus pollen, happily moves about amid lotus clusters and dense creeper thickets, painting a vivid scene of carefree roaming in a lotus-filled landscape.