Shloka 8

Tīrtha-Sevana and the Cursed Apsaras

Grāha-Encounter at Saubhadra Tīrtha

Devanagari script

तौ तु दीर्घेण कालेन तपोयुक्ता बभूवतु: । क्षुत्पिपासापरिश्रान्तौ जटावल्कलधारिणौ,भूख और प्यासका कष्ट सहते हुए सिरपर जटा तथा शरीरपर वल्कल धारण किये वे दोनों भाई दीर्घकालतक भारी तपस्यामें लगे रहे

Transliteration

tau tu dīrgheṇa kālena tapoyuktā babhūvatuḥ | kṣutpipāsāpariśrāntau jaṭāvalkaladhāriṇau ||

Translation

దీర్ఘకాలంలో ఆ ఇద్దరు సోదరులు తపస్సులో పూర్తిగా నిమగ్నులయ్యారు। ఆకలి దాహాల బాధను సహించి, కష్టంతో అలసిపోయి, తలపై జటలు మరియు దేహంపై వల్కలాలు ధరించి, వారు అచంచలంగా ఘోర తపస్సు చేశారు।

Word by Word

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• दीर्घेण: by/with (a) long
• दीर्घेण: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, तृतीया, एकवचन

• कालेन: time; over time
• कालेन: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, तृतीया, एकवचन

• तपोयुक्ता: engaged in austerity
• तपोयुक्ता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• बभूवतुः: they two became/were
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्ण भूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, द्विवचन

• क्षुत्पिपासा: hunger and thirst
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुत् + पिपासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• परिश्रान्तौ: wearied/afflicted
• परिश्रान्तौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-श्रान्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• जटा: matted hair
• Type: Noun
• Root: जटा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वल्कल: bark-garment
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्कल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धारिणौ: wearing/bearing
• धारिणौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धारिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √धृ)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• two brothers (unnamed in this verse)
• jaṭā (matted locks)
• valkala (bark garment)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights tapas as disciplined endurance: willingly bearing hunger, thirst, and hardship while maintaining a simple ascetic life. Ethically, it presents self-control and perseverance as means to spiritual or moral attainment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada describes two brothers who, over a long period, undertake severe austerities. They live like forest ascetics, wearing matted hair and bark garments, and continue their penance despite the strain of hunger and thirst.