Shloka 15

Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity

Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

दोग्ध्रीणां वै गवां चापि प्रयुतानि दशैव ह । प्रादां दशगुणं ब्रह्मनू न तेनाहमिहागत:

Transliteration

dogdhrīṇāṃ vai gavāṃ cāpi prayutāni daśaiva ha | prādāṃ daśaguṇaṃ brahman na tena aham iha āgataḥ ||

Translation

ଭଗୀରଥ କହିଲେ—ହେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ! ମୁଁ ଦୁଧ ଦେଉଥିବା ଗାଈର ଦଶ ପ୍ରୟୁତ ଦାନ କଲି, ଏବଂ ତାହାର ଦଶଗୁଣ ମଧ୍ୟ; ତଥାପି ସେହି ପୁଣ୍ୟରେ ମୁଁ ଏହି ଅବସ୍ଥା (କିମ୍ବା ଏହି ଲୋକ) ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କରିଲି ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• दोग्ध्रीणाम्: of milch (cows)
• दोग्ध्रीणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोग्ध्री (स्त्री)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (स्त्री)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

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

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• प्रयुतानि: ten-thousands (myriads)
• प्रयुतानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयुत (नपुं)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• दश: ten
• दश: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश
• Form: Indeclinable (numeral), Nominative/Accusative (used as numeral), Plural (sense)

• एव: just/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• ह: indeed (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

• प्रादाम्: I gave
• प्रादाम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु: दा)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दशगुणम्: tenfold
• दशगुणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशगुण (नपुं)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (पुं)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• उ: indeed/then (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ

• तेन: by that (merit/gift)
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• इह: here/in this world
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• आगतः: come/arrived
• आगतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु: गम्)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used actively), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भगीरथ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhagīratha
• Brāhmaṇa (addressed interlocutor)
• milch-cows (dogdhrī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even immense charity—such as gifting vast numbers of milch-cows—does not by itself guarantee the highest result; dharma depends on deeper factors like purity of intent, right conduct, and the overall moral-spiritual context of one’s life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhagīratha addresses a Brāhmaṇa and recounts the extraordinary scale of his cow-gifts (ten prayutas and even tenfold more), then states that despite such merit he has not attained the desired state, prompting reflection on what truly leads to spiritual fulfillment.