Shloka 38

Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity

Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

सरय्वां बाहुदायां च गंगायामथ नैमिषे । गवां शतानामयुतमददं न च तेन वै

Transliteration

Sarayvāṁ Bāhudāyāṁ ca Gaṅgāyām atha Naimiṣe | gavāṁ śatānām ayutam adadaṁ na ca tena vai ||

Translation

Бхагиратха сказал: «На Сарайю, на Бахуде, на Ганге и в Наймише я раздал коров в несметном множестве (великое дарение скота). И всё же даже заслугой этих даров я не достиг этого состояния. Лишь силой моего обета поста (анасана-врата) я обрёл этот редкий мир.»

Word by Word

• सरय्वाम्: in (the river) Sarayū
• सरय्वाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरयू
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• बाहुदायाम्: in (the river) Bāhudā
• बाहुदायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहुदा
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• गङ्गायाम्: in (the river) Gaṅgā
• गङ्गायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• अथ: then / and also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• नैमिषे: at Naimiṣa (forest/holy place)
• नैमिषे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• गवाम्: of cows
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• शतानाम्: of hundreds
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• अयुतम्: a myriad; ten-thousand (as a count)
• अयुतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अददम्: I gave
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तेन: by that / by it
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

Speaker

भगीरथ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhagīratha
• Sarayū (river)
• Bāhudā (river)
• Gaṅgā (river)
• Naimiṣa (Naimiṣāraṇya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts external religious merit (pilgrimage and massive charity such as go-dāna) with inner austerity and disciplined vows. Bhagīratha emphasizes that extraordinary spiritual attainment is not guaranteed by quantity of gifts alone; steadfast tapas—here, the fasting vow—can be decisive.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhagīratha speaks about his past acts of pilgrimage to major sacred sites and his immense donations of cows. He then states that those acts did not bring him to the present rare state/realm; rather, he attributes his attainment to the power of his anasana-vrata (fasting austerity).