Shloka 24

सौगन्धिकपुष्पप्रसङ्गः — The Saugaṇdhika Lotus and Bhīma’s Approach to Hanūmān

Devanagari script

सुसमीकृतभूभागे स्वभावविहिते शुभे । जातां हिममृदुस्पर्शे देशेषपहतकण्टके,उस प्रदेशमें डॉस और मच्छरोंका नाम नहीं था। फल-मूल और जलकी बहुतायत थी। वहाँकी भूमि हरी-हरी घाससे ढकी हुई थी। देवता और गन्धर्व वहाँ वास करते थे। उस प्रदेशका भूभाग स्वभावतः समतल और मंगलमय था। उस हिमाच्छादित भूमिका स्पर्श अत्यन्त मृदु था। उस देशमें काँटोंका कहीं नाम नहीं था। ऐसे पावन प्रदेशमें वह विशाल बदरी वृक्ष उत्पन्न हुआ था

Transliteration

susamīkṛtabhūbhāge svabhāvavihite śubhe | jātāṃ himamṛdusparśe deśeṣv apahatakaṇṭake ||

Translation

ఘటోత్కచుడు అన్నాడు—“ఆ ప్రాంతం స్వభావతః శుభమైనది; దాని భూభాగం సమంగా, సక్రమంగా ఉండేది. హిమశీతలమైన నేల స్పర్శ అత్యంత మృదువుగా ఉండేది; ఆ దేశాల్లో ముల్లు పూర్తిగా లేవు.”

Word by Word

सुसमीकृतभूभागेin the well-leveled ground/region

स्वभावविहितेnaturally arranged/formed

शुभेauspicious

जाताम्born/arisen

हिममृदुस्पर्शेin (a place) with snow-soft touch

देशेin the country/region

अपहतकण्टकेwhere thorns are removed/absent

Speaker

घटोत्कच उवाच

Characters & Entities

Ghaṭotkaca

deśa (region/land)

bhūbhāga (terrain/ground)

hima (snow/cold)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses an ideal landscape—naturally even, gentle to the touch, and free from thorns—to symbolize a realm of minimal harm and obstacles, suggesting that purity and auspicious order in one’s surroundings reflect (and support) dharmic well-being.

What is happening in the narrative?

Ghaṭotkaca is describing a particular region as exceptionally благоприятный: its terrain is naturally smooth, its cold earth feels soft, and it is free of thorns—setting the scene for a sacred or extraordinary place and what arises there.