Shloka 39

Adhyāya 6: Pañca-mahābhūta–guṇa-nirdeśa and Sudarśana-dvīpa

Five Elements, Sensory Qualities, and a Cosmographic Island

Devanagari script

उत्तरोत्तरमेते भ्यो वर्षमुद्रिच्यते गुणै: । आयु:प्रमाणमारोग्यं धर्मतः कामतो<र्थत:

Transliteration

uttarottaram etebhyo varṣam udṛcyate guṇaiḥ | āyuḥ-pramāṇam ārogyaṃ dharmataḥ kāmato 'rthataḥ |

Translation

ఓ భారతా! ఈ పూర్వ సంవత్సరాలనుంచి ముందుకు సాగుతూ, ప్రతి తరువాతి సంవత్సరం గుణాలలో మరింతగా ఉన్నతమైంది—ఆయుష్య ప్రమాణంలో, ఆరోగ్యంలో, అలాగే ధర్మ, అర్థ, కామ లాభాలలో. ఈ విధంగా కాలప్రవాహం శుభగుణాలతో క్రమంగా అభివృద్ధి చెందింది.

Word by Word

• उत्तर-उत्तरम्: successively, each following (more and more)
• उत्तर-उत्तरम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• एतेभ्यः: from these
• एतेभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Plural

• वर्षम्: the year (period/age)
• वर्षम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• उदृच्यते: is increased, grows
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + ऋच् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada, Passive/Impersonal (भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोग)

• गुणैः: by qualities, in virtues
• गुणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आयुः-प्रमाणम्: measure/extent of lifespan
• आयुः-प्रमाणम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आरोग्यम्: health
• आरोग्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरोग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मतः: in terms of dharma; from the standpoint of righteousness
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्यय (ablatival adverb)

• कामतः: in terms of desire/pleasure
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्यय (ablatival adverb)

• अर्थतः: in terms of wealth/prosperity
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्यय (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames well-being as multi-dimensional: true ‘increase’ is not only longevity and health, but also growth in dharma (right conduct), artha (ordered prosperity), and kāma (legitimate enjoyment). It implies that ethical order (dharma) is a primary lens for judging the quality of time and life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as Bhārata), describing a progression in which successive periods/years are said to become increasingly endowed with auspicious qualities—longevity, health, and the three human aims (dharma, artha, kāma).