Shloka 58

मातङ्ग–शक्रसंवादः

Mataṅga–Śakra Dialogue on Tapas, Status, and Moral Qualities

Devanagari script

हंसारावै: कोकरवै रवैरन्यैश्व पक्षिणाम्‌ । पस्पर्थ गज गन्धर्वान्‌ पुलिनैश्व शिलोच्चयान्‌

Transliteration

haṃsārāvaiḥ kokaravaiḥ ravair anyaiś ca pakṣiṇām | paspartha gaṅgā gandharvān pulinaiś ca śiloccayān ||

Translation

हंसांचे मधुर नाद, चक्रवाकांचे सुमधुर स्वर आणि इतर पक्ष्यांच्या कलरवाने गंगा जणू गंधर्वांशी स्पर्धा करते; आणि आपल्या उंच-उंच पुलिनां व तटांनी ती शैलशिखरांशी, पर्वत-उंचीशीही जणू होड लावते।

Word by Word

• हंसारावैः: by the cries of swans
• हंसारावैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंसाराव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• कोकिलवैः: by the calls of cuckoos
• कोकिलवैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोकिलरव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• रवैः: by sounds/cries
• रवैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अन्यैः: by other (ones)
• अन्यैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पक्षिणाम्: of birds
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• पस्पर्ध: competed (vied)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पर्ध्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular

• गजगन्धर्वान्: elephant-like Gandharvas
• गजगन्धर्वान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गजगन्धर्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पुलिनैः: by sandbanks/river-banks
• पुलिनैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलिन
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• शिलोच्चयान्: heaps/masses of rocks (rocky heights)
• शिलोच्चयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिलोच्चय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

सिद्ध उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Gandharvas
• Haṃsa (swans)
• Cakravāka (koka) birds
• Other birds
• Pulina (riverbanks/sandbanks)
• Śiloccaya (rocky peaks/mountains)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Excellence need not be expressed through force: Gaṅgā’s ‘competition’ is through sweetness of sound and dignified grandeur. The verse implicitly praises refined qualities—harmony, restraint, and elevating beauty—as ethically superior modes of greatness.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Siddha poetically describes the Gaṅgā: her banks and sandbars look like mountain-heights, and the chorus of swans, cakravākas, and other birds makes her seem to rival the celestial Gandharvas famed for music.