Shloka 23

Uttanka’s Guru-Śuśrūṣā and the Commission to Retrieve the Maṇikuṇḍalas (उत्तङ्क-गुरुशुश्रूषा तथा मणिकुण्डल-आदेशः)

Devanagari script

अथ तेनैव मार्गेण शड्खचक्रगदाधर:

Transliteration

atha tenaiva mārgeṇa śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-dharaḥ salila-vipramukhyebhyo mātṛ-srotasā vibho | tad-anantaraṃ śaṅkhaṃ cakraṃ ca gadāṃ dhārayamāṇo bhagavān śrī-kṛṣṇas tenaiva mārgeṇa prakaṭī-bhūya ājagāma | taṃ dṛṣṭvā mahā-matir uttaṅka uvāca— “puruṣottama prabho! bhavataḥ śreṣṭha-brāhmaṇebhyaś caṇḍāla-spṛṣṭaṃ tathā apavitraṃ jalaṃ dātuṃ na yuktam” iti |

Translation

ତାପରେ ସେଇ ମାର୍ଗରେ ଶଙ୍ଖ-ଚକ୍ର-ଗଦାଧାରୀ ଭଗବାନ୍ ପ୍ରକଟ ହେଲେ—ମାତୃସ୍ରୋତସ ନାମକ ଧାରାତଟରେ, ଯେଉଁଠାରେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣମାନେ ଉପସ୍ଥିତ ଥିଲେ। ତାଙ୍କୁ ଦେଖି ମହାମତି ଉତ୍ତଙ୍କ କହିଲେ—“ପୁରୁଷୋତ୍ତମ! ପ୍ରଭୋ! ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣମାନଙ୍କୁ ଚାଣ୍ଡାଳ-ସ୍ପର୍ଶିତ ଏପରି ଅପବିତ୍ର ଜଳ ଦେବା ଆପଣଙ୍କୁ ଯୁକ୍ତ ନୁହେଁ।”

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• तेन: by that / with that
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, instrumental, singular

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

• मार्गेण: by the path / along the way
• मार्गेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः: the bearer of conch, discus, and mace
• शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः: Karta
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: शङ्ख-चक्र-गदा-धर
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• सलिल: water
• सलिल: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• विप्रमुख्येभ्यः: to the foremost Brahmins
• विप्रमुख्येभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रमुख्य
• Form: masculine, dative/ablative, plural

• मातङ्गस्रोतसा: by the stream of a Mātaṅga (caṇḍāla)
• मातङ्गस्रोतसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातङ्ग-स्रोतस्
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• विभो: O Lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

उत्तडुक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Uttanka
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Puruṣottama)
• Śaṅkha (conch)
• Cakra (discus)
• Gadā (mace)
• Mātṛ-srotas (stream)
• Vipra-mukhyas (foremost Brahmins)
• Caṇḍāla

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds a dharmic concern about ritual purity: Uttanka challenges the propriety of offering water deemed impure (touched by a Caṇḍāla) to eminent Brahmins, even when the giver is the Lord himself. It sets up a reflection on how social-ritual norms interact with divine purpose and ethical discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛṣṇa appears on the same route, identifiable by his conch, discus, and mace, near the stream called Mātṛ-srotas where leading Brahmins are present. Uttanka, seeing him, objects that it is improper to give those Brahmins water considered impure because it has been touched by a Caṇḍāla.