Shloka 13

Durvasa’s Curse, the Churning of the Ocean, and Lakshmi’s Manifestation

Chapter 4

Devanagari script

गृहीत्वा देवराजेन माला सा गजमूर्द्धनि । मुक्ता रराज सा माला कैलासे जाह्नवी यथा

Transliteration

gṛhītvā devarājena mālā sā gajamūrddhani | muktā rarāja sā mālā kailāse jāhnavī yathā

Translation

देवराजाने ती माळ घेऊन गजाच्या मस्तकी ठेवली; ती माळ कैलासावरच्या जाह्नवी (गंगे)प्रमाणे मुक्तेसारखी तेजस्वी होऊन शोभली।

Word by Word

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); ‘गृहीत्वा’ = having taken/received

• देव-राजेन: by the king of the gods (Indra)
• देव-राजेन: Karana/Karta (Agent in passive sense/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (m. instr. sg.)

• माला: the garland
• माला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (f. nom. sg.)

• सा: that
• सा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (f. nom. sg.)

• गज-मूर्द्धनि: on the elephant’s head
• गज-मूर्द्धनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (m. loc. sg.)

• मुक्ता: released/placed
• मुक्ता: Kriya (Participial predicate/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)→मुक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘मुक्ता’ = having been released/placed (f. nom. sg.)

• रराज: shone
• रराज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: राज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सा: that
• सा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (f. nom. sg.)

• माला: garland
• माला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (f. nom. sg.)

• कैलासे: on Kailāsa
• कैलासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (m. loc. sg.)

• जाह्नवी: Jāhnavī (the Gaṅgā)
• जाह्नवी: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाह्नवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (f. nom. sg.); नदी-नाम (Gaṅgā)

• यथा: as/like
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison marker/उपमान-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थे (comparative particle)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; specific dialogue speaker not explicit in this single verse)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shringara

Geographic Context

Type: mountain

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: gajamūrddhani = gaja + mūrdhani; other words mostly in pada form.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Devarāja)
• Airāvata (implied by 'elephant’s head')
• Kailāsa
• Jāhnavī / Gaṅgā

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the geography of sacred Tirthas?

It evokes Mount Kailāsa and the Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā), linking divine imagery to sacred Himalayan geography and reinforcing Kailāsa–Gaṅgā as a revered spiritual landscape.

How does this verse emphasize the path of Bhakti?

Indirectly, by presenting divine beauty and sacred associations (Indra, Kailāsa, Gaṅgā) that inspire reverence and devotional contemplation, even without explicit doctrinal instruction.

What is the ethical lesson from this dialogue?

The verse highlights the power of sacred symbols and pure offerings: what is placed or released in a divine context becomes radiant—suggesting that intention and sanctity elevate actions and objects.