Shloka 12

Adhyaya 61 — The Second Manvantara Begins: The Brahmin’s Swift Journey and Varuthini’s Temptation on Himavat

Sanskrit

ब्राह्मण उवाच मन्त्रौषधिप्रभावेण विप्राप्रतिहता गतिः ।

योजनानां सहस्रं हि दिनार्धेन व्रजाम्यहम् ॥

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca mantrauṣadhi-prabhāveṇa viprāpratihatā gatiḥ |

yojanānāṁ sahasraṁ hi dinārdhena vrajāmy aham ||

Translation

ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ പറഞ്ഞു: മന്ത്രത്തിന്റെയും ഔഷധസസ്യങ്ങളുടെയും ശക്തിയാൽ എന്റെ ഗതി തടസ്സരഹിതമാണ്. ഞാൻ അർദ്ധദിനത്തിൽ സഹസ്ര യോജന ദൂരം സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• brāhmaṇaḥ: the Brahmin
• brāhmaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वक्ता (speaker tag)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mantra-auṣadhi-prabhāveṇa: by the power of mantras and herbs
• mantra-auṣadhi-prabhāveṇa: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + auṣadhi (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (द्वन्द्वः: mantra-auṣadhi = 'mantras and herbs' + तत्पुरुषः: (mantra-auṣadhi)-prabhāva); पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• vipra-apratihatā: unobstructed (even) by a Brahmin
• vipra-apratihatā: Karta (कर्ता/subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + apratihata (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः: vipreṇa apratihatā = 'not obstructed by a Brahmin'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (gatiḥ)

• gatiḥ: movement/speed
• gatiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• yojanānām: of yojanas
• yojanānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• sahasram: a thousand
• sahasram: Karma (कर्म/object/extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक (measure)

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• dina-ardhena: in half a day
• dina-ardhena: Karana (करण/instrument/time-measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक) + ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: dinasya ardha = 'half of a day'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• vrajāmi: I go/travel
• vrajāmi: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vraj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speakers

• Visiting brāhmaṇa (to the host/listener)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Mantra efficacy
• Herbal/ritual technology
• Miraculous travel (ati-gati)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Power is attributed to disciplined knowledge rather than chance; the text also implies responsibility—siddhi is a byproduct of vidyā, not its ultimate purpose.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ākhyāna (narrative instruction). It does not directly serve sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṁśa/vaṁśānucarita.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Unobstructed movement’ suggests inner freedom from saṅga and vighna; mantra (sound-order) and auṣadhi (material potency) together point to harmonizing subtle and gross means.