Shloka 69

Śoka-śamana: Kṛṣṇa’s Consolation and Nārada’s Exempla to Sṛñjaya

Chapter 29

Devanagari script

भूरिदक्षिणमि क्ष्वाकुं यजमानं भगीरथम्‌ | त्रिलोकपथगा गड्डा दुहितृत्वमुपेयुषी,“'त्रिपथगामिनी गंगाने पुत्रीभावको प्राप्त होकर पर्याप्त दक्षिणा देनेवाले इक्ष्वाकुवंशी यजमान भगीरथको अपना पिता माना

Transliteration

bhūridakṣiṇam ikṣvākuṁ yajamānaṁ bhagīratham | trilokapathagā gaṅgā duhitṛtvam upeyuṣī ||

Translation

വായു പറഞ്ഞു—ത്രിലോകപഥഗാമിനിയായ ഗംഗ ദുഹിതൃഭാവം സ്വീകരിച്ച്, ധാരാളം ദക്ഷിണ നൽകുന്ന ഇക്ഷ്വാകുവംശീയ യജമാനൻ ഭഗീരഥനെ തന്റെ പിതാവായി അംഗീകരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

भूरि-दक्षिणम्having abundant sacrificial fee (dakṣiṇā)

इक्ष्वाकुम्Ikṣvāku (scion of the Ikṣvāku line)

यजमानम्the sacrificer (patron of the rite)

भगीरथम्Bhagīratha

त्रि-लोक-पथ-गाgoing on the path of the three worlds

गङ्गाGaṅgā

दुहितृत्वम्the state/role of being a daughter

उपेयुषीhaving attained/assumed (having come to)

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu (Vāyudeva)

Bhagīratha

Ikṣvāku dynasty

Gaṅgā

the three worlds (triloka)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic reciprocity: a human who upholds sacrificial duty and generosity (dakṣiṇā) becomes worthy of divine affiliation. It also frames sacred rivers as moral agents who respond to righteous effort and lineage-duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu describes Gaṅgā’s relationship to Bhagīratha: the world-traversing river-goddess accepts him as her father by taking on the role of his daughter, underscoring Bhagīratha’s merit as an Ikṣvāku sacrificer famed for lavish gifts.