Shloka 12

गोमहात्म्य-प्रश्नोत्तरम्

Saudāsa–Vasiṣṭha on the Purifying Power of Cows

Devanagari script

राघवो5पि प्रिय भ्रात्रे लकक्ष्मणाय यशस्विने । ऋषिभ्यो लक्ष्मणेनोक्तमरण्ये वसता प्रभो

Transliteration

rāghavo 'pi priya-bhrātre lakṣmaṇāya yaśasvine | ṛṣibhyo lakṣmaṇenoktam araṇye vasatā prabho ||

Translation

भीष्म उवाच—राघवोऽपि प्रियभ्रात्रे लक्ष्मणाय यशस्विने। ऋषिभ्यो लक्ष्मणेनोक्तमरण्ये वसता प्रभो॥

Word by Word

• राघवः: Raghava (Rama)
• राघवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• प्रिय: dear (to)
• प्रिय: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• भ्रात्रे: to (his) brother
• भ्रात्रे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• लक्ष्मणाय: to Lakshmana
• लक्ष्मणाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मण
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• यशस्विने: to the illustrious one
• यशस्विने: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यशस्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• ऋषिभ्यः: to the sages
• ऋषिभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

• लक्ष्मणेन: by Lakshmana
• लक्ष्मणेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• उक्तम्: said/spoken
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• अरण्ये: in the forest
• अरण्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वसता: while dwelling / by (one) dwelling
• वसता: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)

• प्रभो: O lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Rāghava (Rāma)
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Ṛṣis (sages)
• Araṇya (forest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic regard for one’s brother and the proper transmission of counsel: a righteous person honors a devoted sibling and communicates matters respectfully to sages, even amid hardship like forest exile.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma cites an example from Rāma’s forest life: Rāma, in connection with Lakṣmaṇa, conveys to the sages what Lakṣmaṇa had said, presenting Rāma’s conduct as exemplary.