Shloka 17

Adhyaya 6 — Balarama’s Dilemma, Drunken Wanderings in Revata’s Grove, and the Slaying of the Suta

Sanskrit

पाटलान् पुष्पितान् रम्यान् देवदारुद्रुमांस्तथा ।

सालांस्तालांस्तमालांश्च किंशुकान् वञ्जुलान् वरान् ॥

Transliteration

pāṭalān puṣpitān ramyān devadārudrumāṃs tathā | sālāṃs tālāṃs tamālāṃś ca kiṃśukān vañjulān varān ||

Translation

പുഷ്പിച്ചു മനോഹരമായ പാടല വൃക്ഷങ്ങളും ദേവദാരു വൃക്ഷങ്ങളും; കൂടാതെ ശാല, താല, തമാല വൃക്ഷങ്ങൾ, ഉത്തമ കിംശുകയും വഞ്ജുലയും ആയ വൃക്ഷങ്ങളും ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• पाटलान्: pāṭala trees
• पाटलान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाटल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पुष्पितान्: flowering
• पुष्पितान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्पित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used adjectivally)

• रम्यान्: beautiful
• रम्यान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• देवदारुद्रुमान्: deodar trees
• देवदारुद्रुमान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवदारु + द्रुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवदारोः द्रुमाः)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (also)

• सालान्: śāla trees
• सालान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तालान्: tāla (palm) trees
• तालान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तमालान्: tamāla trees
• तमालान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• किंशुकान्: kiṃśuka trees
• किंशुकान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंशुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वञ्जुलान्: vañjula trees
• वञ्जुलान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वञ्जुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वरान्: excellent
• वरान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of preceding trees)

Speakers

• Narrator voice (frame not determinable from single verse; not a direct speech marker here)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "vira", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Sacred geography / landscape aesthetics
• Forest imagery in Purāṇic narrative
• Auspicious flora

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse functions primarily as auspicious scene-setting: the abundance of flowering and noble trees evokes a sattvic, ritually ‘fit’ environment—typical of Purāṇic narration where dharma-friendly places (vana/āśrama regions) are marked by pleasing, life-supporting flora.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse is not directly a pañcalakṣaṇa item (sarga, pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, vaṃśānucarita). It belongs to narrative/setting description that supports vaṃśānucarita-style storytelling or pilgrimage/locale depiction, but it does not itself state genealogy, creation, or manvantara chronology.

What is the esoteric significance?

Symbolically, the catalog of trees can be read as a ‘mandala of qualities’: flowering (puṣpita) suggests fruition of tapas/dharma; evergreen or fragrant species (devadāru, tamāla) suggest steadiness and subtle virtue; bright kiṃśuka suggests tejas (inner radiance). In Purāṇic poetics, such a grove often signals proximity to sages, yajña, or a forthcoming sacred disclosure.