Shloka 21

Brāhmaṇya-प्रश्नः — The Inquiry into Attaining Brāhmaṇya

Mataṅga–Gardabhī Itihāsa

Devanagari script

देविकायामुपस्पृश्य तथा सुन्दरिकाहदे । अश्रिन्यां रूपवर्चस्कं प्रेत्य वै लभते नर:

Transliteration

devikāyām upaspṛśya tathā sundarikā-hrade | aśvinyāṁ rūpa-varcaskaṁ pretya vai labhate naraḥ ||

Translation

ଦେବିକାରେ ସ୍ନାନ କରି, ତଥା ସୁନ୍ଦରିକା କୁଣ୍ଡ ଓ ଅଶ୍ୱିନୀ ତୀର୍ଥରେ ସ୍ନାନ କଲେ, ମନୁଷ୍ୟ ମୃତ୍ୟୁ ପରେ ପରଜନ୍ମରେ ରୂପ ଓ ଦୀପ୍ତ ତେଜ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କରେ।

Word by Word

• देविकायाम्: in/at Devikā (tīrtha)
• देविकायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देविका
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• उपस्पृश्य: having bathed (performed ablution)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उपस्पृश्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Prior action (having bathed/touched water)

• तथा: and likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• सुन्दरिकाहदे: in/at the Sundarikā lake (hrada)
• सुन्दरिकाहदे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुन्दरिकाह्रद
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अश्विन्याम्: in/at Aśvinī (tīrtha)
• अश्विन्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्विनी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• रूपवर्चस्कम्: beauty and radiance
• रूपवर्चस्कम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूपवर्चस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रेत्य: after death; having departed
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-इ
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Prior action (having departed/died)

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

• लभते: obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ्
• Form: Lat (Present), Atmanepada, Third, Singular

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

अजड्रिय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Ajadriya
• Devikā
• Sundarikā-hrada (lake of Sundarikā)
• Aśvinī-tīrtha
• Aśvins (implied by the name Aśvinī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that disciplined purity-practices—especially bathing at revered tīrthas—are treated as dharmic acts whose karmic fruit is described as auspicious personal qualities (beauty and radiance) in a future birth, reinforcing the ethic of reverence, self-purification, and faith in moral causality.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker named Ajadriya is listing specific sacred bathing places (Devikā, the lake of Sundarikā, and Aśvinī-tīrtha) and stating the promised result of bathing there: after death, the pilgrim is reborn with enhanced beauty and splendor.