Shloka 21

Devanagari script

इत्यामन्त्रय सुधर्मा स कृत्वा चाभिप्रदक्षिणम्‌ । कन्यां शिरस्युपापच्राय प्रविवेश महीतलम्‌,सुधर्मासे ऐसी सलाह करके मातलिने इष्टदेवकी परिक्रमा की और कन्याका मस्तक सूँघकर रसातलमें प्रवेश किया

Transliteration

ity āmantrya sudharmā sa kṛtvā cābhipradakṣiṇam | kanyāṃ śirasy upāghrāya praviveśa mahītalam ||

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞു സുധർമയോട് വിടപറഞ്ഞ ശേഷം, ഭക്തിപൂർവ്വം പ്രദക്ഷിണം ചെയ്തു; പിന്നെ കന്യയുടെ തല മണന്ന് സ്നേഹാശീർവാദം നൽകി, അദ്ദേഹം ഭൂമിയിലേക്കു പ്രവേശിച്ചു।

Word by Word

इतिthus

आमन्त्र्यhaving taken leave / having addressed

सुधर्माSudharmā (proper name)

सःhe

कृत्वाhaving done

चand

अभिप्रदक्षिणम्circumambulation (keeping to the right)

कन्याम्the maiden/daughter

शिरसिon the head

उपापच्रायhaving smelled (in reverence)

प्रविवेशentered

महीतलम्the earth-surface / ground

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sudharmā

kanyā (the maiden)

mahītala (the earth/ground)

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 etiquette in departure: one should take leave respectfully, honor what is revered through pradakṣiṇā, and offer affectionate, protective blessing to the vulnerable (here, the maiden) before leaving.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sudharmā formally takes leave, performs a reverential circumambulation, blesses the maiden by smelling her head, and then departs by entering into the earth—suggesting a supernatural descent to subterranean realms.