Shloka 53

मातङ्ग–शक्रसंवादः

Mataṅga–Śakra Dialogue on Tapas, Status, and Moral Qualities

Devanagari script

देवा: सोमार्कसंस्थानि यथा सत्रादिभिर्मखै: । अमृतान्युपजीवन्ति तथा गज्ाजलं नस:

Transliteration

devāḥ somārkasaṁsthāni yathā satrādibhir makhaiḥ | amṛtāny upajīvanti tathā gaṅgājalaṁ naraḥ ||

Translation

ଯେପରି ଦେବତାମାନେ ସତ୍ରାଦି ଯଜ୍ଞଦ୍ୱାରା ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର-ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟସ୍ଥ ଅମୃତକୁ ଆଶ୍ରୟ କରି ଜୀବନ ଧାରଣ କରନ୍ତି, ସେପରି ଏହି ସଂସାରର ମନୁଷ୍ୟମାନେ ଗଙ୍ଗାଜଳକୁ ଆଶ୍ରୟ କରି ଜୀବନ ନିର୍ବାହ କରନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सोम-अर्क-संस्थानि: the (things) situated in the Moon and Sun
• सोम-अर्क-संस्थानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संस्थान (with सोम, अर्क as qualifiers)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• सत्र-आदिभिः: by satras and the like
• सत्र-आदिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्र (आदि-)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• मखैः: by sacrifices
• मखैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अमृतानि: nectars/ambrosias
• अमृतानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• उपजीवन्ति: live upon, subsist on
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप√जीव्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• तथा: so, in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• गङ्गा-जलम्: Ganga-water
• गङ्गा-जलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (गङ्गा-)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• नराः: men, humans
• नराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• उपजीवन्ति: live upon, depend on
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप√जीव्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

सिद्ध उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Siddha (speaker)
• Devas
• Soma (Moon)
• Arka (Sun)
• Gaṅgā
• Gaṅgā-jala (Ganges water)
• Satra (sacrificial session)
• Makha (sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates Gaṅgā-water as a life-sustaining sacred support for humans, paralleling how the gods are sustained by amṛta accessed through sacrificial discipline; it links human well-being to reverence for sacred sources and dharmic practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Siddha is explaining, by analogy, the dependence of beings on sanctified sources: gods rely on amṛta associated with the Moon and Sun through rites like satras, while humans rely on the Gaṅgā’s water—implying its exceptional sanctity and value.