Shloka 39

Adhyāya 6: Pañca-mahābhūta–guṇa-nirdeśa and Sudarśana-dvīpa

Five Elements, Sensory Qualities, and a Cosmographic Island

Devanagari script

उत्तरोत्तरमेते भ्यो वर्षमुद्रिच्यते गुणै: । आयु:प्रमाणमारोग्यं धर्मतः कामतो<र्थत:,भारतसे आरम्भ करके ये सभी वर्ष आयुके प्रमाण, आरोग्य, धर्म, अर्थ और काम-- इन सभी दृष्टियोंसे गुणोंमें उत्तरोत्तर बढ़ते गये हैं

Transliteration

uttarottaram etebhyo varṣam udṛcyate guṇaiḥ | āyuḥ-pramāṇam ārogyaṃ dharmataḥ kāmato 'rthataḥ |

Translation

हे भारत! या पूर्वीच्या वर्षांपासून पुढे जाताना प्रत्येक पुढील वर्ष गुणांनी उत्तरोत्तर श्रेष्ठ होत गेले—आयुष्याच्या प्रमाणाने, आरोग्याने, तसेच धर्म, अर्थ आणि काम यांच्या प्राप्तीने. अशा रीतीने काळाचा प्रवाह शुभ गुणांसह वाढत गेला.

Word by Word

उत्तर-उत्तरम्successively, each following (more and more)

एतेभ्यःfrom these

वर्षम्the year (period/age)

उदृच्यतेis increased, grows

गुणैःby qualities, in virtues

आयुः-प्रमाणम्measure/extent of lifespan

आरोग्यम्health

धर्मतःin terms of dharma; from the standpoint of righteousness

कामतःin terms of desire/pleasure

अर्थतःin terms of wealth/prosperity

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames well-being as multi-dimensional: true ‘increase’ is not only longevity and health, but also growth in dharma (right conduct), artha (ordered prosperity), and kāma (legitimate enjoyment). It implies that ethical order (dharma) is a primary lens for judging the quality of time and life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as Bhārata), describing a progression in which successive periods/years are said to become increasingly endowed with auspicious qualities—longevity, health, and the three human aims (dharma, artha, kāma).