Shloka 16

Bhṛgu–Bharadvāja-saṃvāda: Vānaprastha-parivrājaka-ācāra, Abhaya-dharma, and Lokānāṃ Vibhāga (Śānti-parva 185)

Devanagari script

वक्त्रेणोत्पलनालेन यथोर्ध्व जलमाददेत्‌ । तथा पवनसंयुक्त: पादैः: पिबति पादप:

Transliteration

vaktreṇotpalanālena yathordhvaṁ jalam ādadet | tathā pavanasaṁyuktaḥ pādaiḥ pibati pādapaḥ ||

Translation

ଭରଦ୍ୱାଜ କହିଲେ— ଯେପରି ମଣିଷ ପଦ୍ମନାଳକୁ ମୁହଁରେ ଲଗାଇ ତାହା ଦ୍ୱାରା ଜଳକୁ ଉପରକୁ ଟାଣିନେଇଥାଏ, ସେପରି ପବନର ସହାୟତାରେ ଯୁକ୍ତ ବୃକ୍ଷ ନିଜ ମୂଳଦ୍ୱାରା ଜଳକୁ ଉପରକୁ ପିଏ ଓ ଟାଣେ।

Word by Word

• वक्त्रेण: with the mouth
• वक्त्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• उत्पल: of the lotus
• उत्पल: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्पल
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• नालेन: with the stalk
• नालेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

• ऊर्ध्वम्: upwards
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आददेत्: would draw/take up
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (आ-दा)
• Form: Potential/Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular

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

• पवन: with wind
• पवन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• संयुक्तः: joined/assisted (by)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयुक्त (सम्-युज्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पादैः: with the feet (i.e., roots)
• पादैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• पिबति: drinks/sucks up
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular

• पादपः: tree
• पादपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भरद्वाज उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bharadvāja
• utpala (lotus)
• utpala-nāla (lotus-stalk)
• pavana (wind)
• pādapa (tree)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches through analogy that hidden mechanisms and supporting conditions enable visible outcomes: as a lotus-stalk can serve as a conduit to draw water upward, a tree draws water upward through its roots with the aid of wind/air. It encourages attentive reasoning about causes that are not immediately seen.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bharadvāja is explaining a natural process in a didactic discussion: how a tree ‘drinks’ and lifts water upward. He illustrates it with a simple, observable example—sucking water through a lotus-stalk—so the listener can grasp the principle.