Shloka 22

Kuru's Consecration — Kuru’s Consecration and the Sanctification of Samantapañcaka (Kurukshetra)

Devanagari script

कृत्वा सीरं स सौवर्णं गह्य रुद्रवृषं प्रभुः पौण्ड्रकं याम्यमहिषं स्वयं कर्षितुमुद्यतः

Transliteration

kṛtvā sīraṃ sa sauvarṇaṃ gahya rudravṛṣaṃ prabhuḥ pauṇḍrakaṃ yāmyamahiṣaṃ svayaṃ karṣitumudyataḥ

Translation

അവൻ സ്വർണ്ണഹലം നിർമ്മിപ്പിച്ചു; രുദ്രവൃഷൻ എന്ന കാളയെയും യമന്റെ പൗണ്ഡ്രകൻ എന്ന മഹിഷത്തെയും കൂട്ടി, സ്വയം ഉഴുവാൻ പുറപ്പെട്ടു।

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Anterior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• सीरम्: plough
• सीरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सौवर्णम्: golden
• सौवर्णम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• गृह्य: having taken
• गृह्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Anterior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘गृह्य’ = ‘गृहीत्वा’

• रुद्रवृषम्: Rudra’s bull
• रुद्रवृषम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र-वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रुद्रस्य वृषः)

• प्रभुः: the lord
• प्रभुः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; apposition to सः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पौण्ड्रकम्: Puṇḍra-related (eastern)
• पौण्ड्रकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौण्ड्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of Puṇḍra region)

• याम्यमहिषम्: the southern buffalo
• याम्यमहिषम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्य-महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (याम्यः महिषः = southern buffalo)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वतन्त्रकर्तृबोधक अव्यय (adverb: ‘oneself, personally’)

• कर्षितुम्: to plough
• कर्षितुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृष् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), ‘to plough’

• उद्यतः: ready, intent
• उद्यतः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-यत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘ready/raised/intent’

Speakers

• Narrator voice within the Purāṇic frame (commonly Pulastya → Nārada
• not explicit here)

Primary Deities

• Yama (implied via yāmya-mahiṣa)
• Rudra (implied via the name/epithet rudravṛṣa)

Key Themes

• Tīrtha-Māhātmya
• Ritual action (land consecration through ploughing)
• Royal humility and personal effort
• Implicit Śaiva-Vaishnava synthesis markers (Rudra-name in royal rite; Yama-symbolism)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The king’s self-ploughing highlights leadership through direct responsibility rather than delegation. In tīrtha contexts, such labor becomes a sacral act—ordering the land and generating merit and remembrance (kīrti).

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa?

Primarily Vaṃśānucarita/Carita: exemplary deeds linked to the sanctification of place. Secondarily, it supports tīrtha-mahātmya exposition by narrating the origin/activation of sacred space through action.

What is the symbolic significance?

A golden plough signifies royal śrī (prosperity) offered into dharma. The pairing of ‘Rudra’ (via rudravṛṣa) and ‘Yama’ (via yāmya-mahiṣa) can symbolically bracket life-force and restraint/order—suggesting that sacred landscapes are established by integrating power (raudra) with law/limit (yama).