Shloka 15

The Glory of Lamp-Donation

in Kārttika

Devanagari script

प्रदीपस्य च माहात्म्यं विशेषमुच्यते मया । निशामय द्विजश्रेष्ठ सेतिहासं समाहितः

Transliteration

pradīpasya ca māhātmyaṃ viśeṣamucyate mayā | niśāmaya dvijaśreṣṭha setihāsaṃ samāhitaḥ

Translation

ଏବେ ମୁଁ ପ୍ରଦୀପର ମାହାତ୍ମ୍ୟକୁ ବିଶେଷଭାବେ କହୁଛି। ହେ ଦ୍ୱିଜଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ଇତିହାସସହିତ ଏହି ବୃତ୍ତାନ୍ତକୁ ଏକାଗ୍ରଚିତ୍ତେ ଶୁଣ।

Word by Word

• प्रदीपस्य: of the lamp
• प्रदीपस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object) / Topic (contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विशेषम्: in particular; specifically
• विशेषम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियायाः कर्म

• उच्यते: is said/declared
• उच्यते: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निशामय: listen/attend
• निशामय: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√शम्/√शम (धातु) (आज्ञार्थे)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: O best of brāhmaṇas
• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Vocative addressee)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रेष्ठः द्विजः)

• सइतिहासम्: together with the legend/history
• सइतिहासम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of implied discourse)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ ‘with’) + इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (इतिहासेन सह) विशेषण (अर्थतः ‘कथासहितम्’)

• समाहितः: attentive, composed
• समाहितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of addressee)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाहित (कृदन्त; सम्-आ-√धा, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (त्वम्—अध्याहृत)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator/sage (speaker not identified in the provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: विशेषमुच्यते = विशेषम् उच्यते; सेतिहासं = सइतिहासम् (स-उपपदेन अव्ययीभावप्रयोगः/सन्धि); द्विजश्रेष्ठ = द्विज-श्रेष्ठ (कर्मधारय).

FAQs

What is meant by “pradīpasya māhātmyam” in this verse?

It refers to the sacred importance and spiritual merit associated with a lamp—typically in the context of worship, offering, or religious observance—whose specific greatness the speaker is about to explain.

Why does the verse emphasize listening “samāhitaḥ” (with concentration)?

Purāṇic teachings are framed as sacred instruction; attentive listening is presented as essential for properly receiving and internalizing dharma-oriented narratives and their intended ethical or ritual import.

What does “sa-itihāsam” indicate about the teaching style here?

It signals that the explanation will be supported by an itihāsa—an authoritative traditional narrative—used to ground the teaching in an illustrative story rather than abstract instruction alone.