Shloka 23

Uttanka’s Inquiry and Vāsudeva’s Adhyātma Exposition

Guṇa–Ritual–Immanence Teaching

Devanagari script

वायुदेव उवाच शृणु मे विस्तरेणेदं यद्‌ वक्ष्ये भुगुनन्दन । गृहाणानुनयं चापि तपस्वी हासि भार्गव

Transliteration

vāyudeva uvāca: śṛṇu me vistareṇedaṃ yad vakṣye bhṛgunandana | gṛhāṇānunayaṃ cāpi tapasvī hāsi bhārgava ||

Translation

ਵਾਯੁਦੇਵ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ—ਭ੍ਰਿਗੁਨੰਦਨ! ਜੋ ਮੈਂ ਕਹਿਣ ਲੱਗਾ ਹਾਂ, ਉਹ ਵਿਸਥਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਧਿਆਨ ਕਰਕੇ ਸੁਣ। ਹੇ ਭਾਰਗਵ! ਤੂੰ ਤਪਸਵੀ ਹੈਂ; ਇਸ ਲਈ ਮੇਰੀ ਇਹ ਨਿਮਰ ਬੇਨਤੀ ਵੀ ਸਵੀਕਾਰ ਕਰ।

Word by Word

• {'vāyudevaḥ': 'the Wind-god

• Vāyu', 'uvāca': 'said

• spoke', 'śṛṇu': 'listen (imperative)', 'me': 'to me

• my', 'vistareṇa': 'in detail

• at length', 'idaṃ': 'this', 'yat': 'which

• what', 'vakṣye': 'I shall say

• I will speak', 'bhṛgu-nandana': 'descendant of Bhṛgu (honorific address)', 'gṛhāṇa': 'accept

• receive (imperative)', 'anunayam': 'entreaty

• humble persuasion', 'ca api': 'and also', 'tapasvī': 'ascetic

• one practicing austerities', 'ha': 'indeed

• surely (emphatic particle)', 'asi': 'you are', 'bhārgava': 'a Bhṛgu-descendant

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyudeva/Vāyu)
• भृगुनन्दन (Bhṛgunandana)
• भार्गव (Bhārgava)
• भृगु (Bhṛgu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models ethical speech: even when instructing or correcting, one should speak with patience, clarity, and humility—especially when addressing a spiritually disciplined person—using respectful entreaty rather than coercion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva begins a detailed address to a Bhārgava (a descendant of Bhṛgu), requesting attentive listening and asking that his conciliatory plea be accepted, setting a courteous tone for the instruction that follows.