Shloka 1
Gālava’s Eastern Ascent with Garuḍa; Counsel on Kāla and Upāya (उद्योगपर्व, अध्याय ११०)
अपन का छा 2 एकादरशाधिकशततमोड< ध्याय: उत्तर दिशाका वर्णन युपर्ण उवाच यस्मादुत्तार्यते पापाद् यस्मान्नि:श्रेयसो 5 ्षुते । अस्मादुत्तारणबलादुत्तरेत्युच्यते द्विज
yuparṇa uvāca | yasmād uttāryate pāpād yasmān niḥśreyaso 'śnute | asmād uttāraṇa-balād uttarety ucyate dvija ||
ਯੁਪਰਣ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ—ਗਾਲਵ! ਇਸ ਮਾਰਗ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਪਾਪ ਤੋਂ ਪਾਰ ਉਤਰ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਪਰਮ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਯਸ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਭੋਗ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ; ਇਸ ਲਈ, ਹੇ ਦ੍ਵਿਜ, ਇਸ ‘ਉੱਤਾਰਣ’ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਕਤੀ ਕਰਕੇ ਇਸ ਦਿਸ਼ਾ ਨੂੰ ‘ਉੱਤਰ’ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।
युपर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse gives an etymological and moral explanation of ‘uttara’ (north): it is called ‘uttara’ because it ‘carries one across’ (uttāraṇa) from sin and leads to the highest welfare (niḥśreyasa). Direction is framed not merely as geography but as a value-laden path associated with purification and ultimate good.
Yuparṇa (Garuda) is describing the northern direction to his interlocutor (addressed as dvija; the accompanying gloss identifies him as Gālava). He explains why that direction is named ‘uttara’ by linking the term to the idea of spiritual deliverance and attainment of blessed states.