Shloka 27

Devanagari script

उत्तरेति परिख्याता सर्वकर्मसु चोत्तरा । द्विजश्रेष्ठल इन सब कारणोंसे तथा अन्यान्य गुणोंके कारण यह दिशा उत्कृष्ट है और समस्त शुभ कर्मोके लिये भी यही उत्तम मानी गयी है। इसलिये इसे उत्तर कहते हैं ।। २६ # || एता विस्तरशस्तात तव संकीर्तिता दिश:

Transliteration

uttareti parikhyātā sarvakarmasu cottarā | dvijaśreṣṭha etaiḥ sarvakāraṇaiḥ tathā anyānyaguṇakāraṇaiś ca eṣā diśā utkṛṣṭā, samastaśubhakarmabhyaś ca iyam eva uttamā matā | tasmād uttarā iti ucyate ||

Translation

Arah itu dinamakan “Uttarā” (arah Utara), dan dalam segala usaha ia dianggap yang paling utama. Wahai yang terbaik antara kaum dwija, atas sebab-sebab ini—dan kerana kebajikan-kebajikan yang lain lagi—penjuru ini dipandang mulia dan dipegang sebagai yang paling bertuah bagi setiap perbuatan yang benar. Oleh itu ia dinamakan “Utara”.

Word by Word

उत्तराnorthern; the northern (direction)

इतिthus; as

परिख्याताis called; is well-known as

सर्वकर्मसुin all rites/actions

चand

उत्तराthe best; excellent (fem.)

Speaker

युपर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

य

युपर्ण (Yuparṇa)

dvijaśreṣṭha (addressed Brahmin)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links ‘uttara’ (north) with ‘uttara’ (superior), presenting the northern quarter as symbolically and ritually preeminent—especially for auspicious, dharmic actions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yuparṇa is explaining the significance of directions, stating that the northern direction is renowned as the best and most auspicious for all good undertakings, and that this excellence is why it is called ‘Uttarā’.