Shloka 79

Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment

Parāśara’s Instruction

Devanagari script

नमश्नण्डाय कुण्डाय अण्डायाण्डधराय च । दण्डिने समकर्णाय दण्डिमुण्डाय वै नम:

Transliteration

namaś caṇḍāya kuṇḍāya aṇḍāyāṇḍadharāya ca | daṇḍine samakarṇāya daṇḍimuṇḍāya vai namaḥ ||

Translation

ଚଣ୍ଡରୂପକୁ, କୁଣ୍ଡରୂପକୁ (କୁଣ୍ଡର ଜଳ ପରି ଯାହାଙ୍କ ଉଦରେ ସମଗ୍ର ଜଗତ୍ ଅବସ୍ଥିତ), ଅଣ୍ଡ ଓ ଅଣ୍ଡଧରକୁ; ଦଣ୍ଡିନ, ସମକର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଓ ଦଣ୍ଡିମୁଣ୍ଡକୁ—ଆପଣଙ୍କୁ ନମସ୍କାର।

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation; homage
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस्
• Form: indeclinable (used with dative)

• चण्डाय: to the fierce one
• चण्डाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्ड
• Form: masculine, dative, singular

• कुण्डाय: to the reservoir/pit (as a name)
• कुण्डाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड
• Form: masculine, dative, singular

• अण्डाय: to the cosmic egg (Brahmāṇḍa) (as a name)
• अण्डाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अण्ड
• Form: masculine, dative, singular

• अण्डधराय: to the bearer/supporter of the cosmic egg
• अण्डधराय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अण्डधर
• Form: masculine, dative, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: indeclinable

• दण्डिने: to the staff-bearer; punisher
• दण्डिने: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्डिन्
• Form: masculine, dative, singular

• समकर्णाय: to the impartial-hearing one; equal-eared
• समकर्णाय: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समकर्ण
• Form: masculine, dative, singular

• दण्डिमुण्डाय: to the staff-bearing and shaven-headed one (as a name)
• दण्डिमुण्डाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्डिमुण्ड
• Form: masculine, dative, singular

• वै: indeed; surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै
• Form: indeclinable

• नमः: salutation; homage
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस्
• Form: indeclinable (used with dative)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Caṇḍa (epithet of the praised deity)
• Kuṇḍa (epithet of the praised deity)
• Aṇḍa (cosmic egg; epithet)
• Aṇḍadhara (bearer of the cosmic egg; epithet)
• Daṇḍin (staff-bearer/punisher; epithet)
• Samakarṇa (impartial hearer; epithet)
• Daṇḍimuṇḍa (ascetic-form epithet)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the divine encompasses seemingly opposite functions: fierce punishment of wrongdoing (caṇḍa, daṇḍin) and impartial receptivity (samakarṇa), while also being the cosmic ground that contains and sustains the universe (kuṇḍa, aṇḍa, aṇḍadhara). It frames justice and ascetic discipline as expressions of the same ultimate order (dharma).

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and related teachings. Here he utters a reverential hymn-like salutation, stringing together epithets that praise the deity’s cosmic nature, moral governance through punishment, and presence in ascetic forms.