Shloka 3

गोशकृन्माहात्म्य-प्रश्नः (On the Merit of Cow-Dung and the Abode of Śrī) / Inquiry into the Sanctity of Cow-Dung

Devanagari script

सौदास उवाच त्रैलोक्ये भगवन्‌ किंस्वित्‌ पवित्र कथ्यतेडनघ । यत्‌ कीर्तयन्‌ सदा मर्त्य: प्राप्तुयात्‌ पुण्यमुत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

saudāsa uvāca | trailokye bhagavan kiṃsvit pavitraṃ kathyate 'nagha | yat kīrtayan sadā martyaḥ prāpnuyāt puṇyam uttamam ||

Translation

ସୌଦାସ କହିଲେ—ଭଗବନ୍! ନିଷ୍ପାପ ମହର୍ଷେ! ତ୍ରିଲୋକରେ ସତ୍ୟସତ୍ୟ ପବିତ୍ର ବୋଲି କ’ଣ କୁହାଯାଏ? ଯାହାକୁ ସଦା କୀର୍ତ୍ତନ କଲେ ମର୍ତ୍ୟ ଉତ୍ତମ ପୁଣ୍ୟ ପାଇପାରିବ?

Word by Word

• सौदासः: Saudāsa (king Saudāsa)
• सौदासः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौदास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• त्रैलोक्ये: in the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• भगवन्: O venerable one
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• किम्: what?
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• स्वित्: indeed / I wonder (interrogative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वित्

• पवित्रम्: pure, purifier (thing)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कथ्यते: is said / is called
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ्
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Singular

• अनघ: O sinless one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनघ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यत्: which (thing)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कीर्तयन्: praising / reciting (its name)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तयत्
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• मर्त्यः: a mortal, man
• मर्त्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्राप्तुयात्: might obtain
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: Optative, Third, Singular

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उत्तमम्: highest, excellent
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

सौदास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Saudāsa
• trailokya (the three worlds)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharmic inquiry: among all things considered sacred, what is the supreme purifier whose remembrance or recitation reliably yields the highest merit. It highlights the ethical-spiritual power attributed to continual kīrtana (praise/recitation) of a truly purifying object or name.

What is happening in the narrative?

King Saudāsa addresses a revered, sinless sage and asks for guidance. He seeks to know what, across the three worlds, is regarded as the most purifying—so that by constantly reciting it a human being may attain supreme puṇya.