Shloka 23

पाण्डवानां पाञ्चालगमनम्

The Pāṇḍavas’ Journey toward Pāñcāla and News of the Svayaṃvara

Devanagari script

हम्भायमाना कल्याणी वसिष्ठस्याथ नन्दिनी । आगम्याभिमुखी पार्थ तस्थौ भगवदुन्मुखी

Transliteration

hambhāyamānā kalyāṇī vasiṣṭhasyātha nandinī | āgamyābhimukhī pārtha tasthau bhagavad-unmukhī ||

Translation

ହମ୍ଭାର କରୁଥିବା ବସିଷ୍ଠଙ୍କ କଲ୍ୟାଣମୟୀ ନନ୍ଦିନୀ ଆଗକୁ ଆସି, ହେ ପାର୍ଥ, ତୁମ ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ଦଣ୍ଡାୟମାନ ହେଲା—ତାହାର ମୁଖ ଶ୍ରଦ୍ଧାରେ ଭଗବଦ୍-ତୁଲ୍ୟ ମହର୍ଷିଙ୍କ ପ୍ରତି ନିବିଷ୍ଟ ଥିଲା।

Word by Word

• हम्भायमाना: lowing, bellowing
• हम्भायमाना: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हम्भा (धातु: हम्भ्/हम्भा-शब्दकरणे)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular, शानच् (वर्तमानकाले), Ātmanepada (मध्यपद-प्रयोगः)

• कल्याणी: auspicious, fair
• कल्याणी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कल्याणी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• वसिष्ठस्य: of Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अथ: then, now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• नन्दिनी: Nandinī (the cow)
• नन्दिनी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिनी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• आगम्य: having come
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम्
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वा-अर्थे), Parasmaipada/Ātmanepada (अव्ययभावः), Absolutive (having come)

• अभिमुखी: facing (towards)
• अभिमुखी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिमुखी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• पार्थ: O Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तस्थौ: stood
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/परफेक्ट), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भगवत्-उन्मुखी: with face turned to the Blessed one (Vasiṣṭha)
• भगवत्-उन्मुखी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् + उन्मुखी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

गन्धर्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• गन्धर्व (speaker)
• नन्दिनी
• वसिष्ठ
• पार्थ

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic reverence: even a powerful, divine being like Nandinī approaches with auspiciousness and respectful attention toward the holy (bhagavat), underscoring the ethical primacy of honoring sages and sacred order.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Gandharva narrates that Vasiṣṭha’s divine cow Nandinī, lowing, comes forward and stands facing the addressed person (Pārtha), poised and attentive, as if awaiting or responding to the sage’s will.