Shloka 4

Ambikā-vana Śiva-pūjā; Nanda Saved from the Serpent; Śaṅkhacūḍa Slain

Devanagari script

ऊषु: सरस्वतीतीरे जलं प्राश्य यतव्रता: । रजनीं तां महाभागा नन्दसुनन्दकादय: ॥ ४ ॥

Transliteration

ūṣuḥ sarasvatī-tīre jalaṁ prāśya yata-vratāḥ rajanīṁ tāṁ mahā-bhāgā nanda-sunandakādayaḥ

Translation

सरस्वतीतीरे महाभागाः नन्दसुनन्दकादयः तां रजनीम् ऊषुः। यतव्रताः जलं प्राश्य उपवासं चक्रुः।

Synonyms

• ūṣuḥ: stayed/dwelt
• ūṣuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (वस् धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन); Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद); from √vas ‘to dwell’

• sarasvatī-tīre: on the bank of the Sarasvatī
• sarasvatī-tīre: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī + tīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘sarasvatyāḥ tīram’

• jalam: water
• jalam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• prāśya: having drunk/sipped
• prāśya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√aś (अश् धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्), indeclinable (अव्ययकृदन्त)

• yata-vratāḥ: self-restrained (of disciplined vows)
• yata-vratāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yata (कृदन्त; √yam यम् धातु) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); बहुव्रीहि: ‘yataṁ vrataṁ yeṣām’ = restrained in vows

• rajanīm: the night
• rajanīm: Karma (कर्म/काल-परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tām: that
• tām: Visheshana (विशेषण/निर्देशक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); refers to rajanīm

• mahā-bhāgāḥ: greatly fortunate
• mahā-bhāgāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); कर्मधारय: ‘mahān bhāgaḥ yeṣām/mahābhāgāḥ’ (fortunate, noble)

• nanda-sunandaka-ādayaḥ: Nanda, Sunandaka, and others
• nanda-sunandaka-ādayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nanda + sunandaka + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); द्वन्द्व (समाहार/इतरेतर) with ādayaḥ ‘and others’

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains that Sunanda is the younger brother of Nanda Mahārāja.

Characters & Entities

• Nanda
• Sunandaka
• Sarasvatī (river)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about staying on the bank of the Sarasvatī River?

This verse describes Nanda and the Vraja elders spending the night on the Sarasvatī’s bank after sipping its water, highlighting pilgrimage purity and devotional discipline.

Why did Nanda and the Vraja elders stay near the Sarasvatī in Canto 10 Chapter 34?

They were traveling as disciplined devotees (yata-vratāḥ) and, after taking water at the sacred riverbank, they halted there for the night as part of their pilgrimage journey.

Practical application of vrata (self-discipline) from this shloka in modern life?

Adopt steady spiritual routines—simple purity practices, mindful intake, and intentional pauses for prayer—so devotion is supported by consistent self-restraint.