Shloka 1

The Episode of Śivaśarmā: Testing Somaśarmā through Service and Truth

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । गतेषु तेषु गोलोकं वैष्णवं तमसः परम् । शिवशर्मा महाप्राज्ञः कनिष्ठं वाक्यमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | gateṣu teṣu golokaṃ vaiṣṇavaṃ tamasaḥ param | śivaśarmā mahāprājñaḥ kaniṣṭhaṃ vākyamabravīt

Translation

సూతుడు పలికెను—వారు తమస్సుకు అతీతమైన వైష్ణవధామమైన గోలోకానికి వెళ్లిన తరువాత, మహాప్రాజ్ఞుడు శివశర్మ కనిష్ఠునితో మాటలు పలికెను।

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• gateṣu: when (they) had gone
• gateṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम् धातु) + gata (क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त) used in locative absolute; Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• teṣu: in/among them; when they
• teṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• golokam: Goloka
• golokam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) 'go-loka' = world of cows (Goloka); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• vaiṣṇavam: Vaiṣṇava
• vaiṣṇavam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaiṣṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tamasaḥ: from darkness
• tamasaḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• param: supreme, beyond
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• śivaśarmā: Śivaśarman
• śivaśarmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śivaśarman (प्रातिपदिक; proper noun)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahāprājñaḥ: very wise
• mahāprājñaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + prājña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) 'mahā + prājña'; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• kaniṣṭham: the youngest (one)
• kaniṣṭham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaniṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• vākyam: speech, words
• vākyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• abravīt: spoke
• abravīt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (ब्रू धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

Speaker

Sūta

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: Locative absolute: gateṣu teṣu = 'when they had gone'. No further required sandhi splits.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Goloka
• Viṣṇu (Vaiṣṇava realm)
• Śivaśarmā

FAQs

Who is speaking in this verse and what is the narrative function?

The speaker is Sūta, serving as the narrator who transitions the story: after certain beings depart to Goloka, he introduces Śivaśarmā’s next speech.

What does “Goloka… beyond darkness (tamasaḥ param)” imply philosophically?

It frames Goloka as a transcendental Vaiṣṇava abode beyond tamas (darkness/ignorance), implying liberation and a realm characterized by spiritual clarity rather than material obscuration.

What ethical or instructional setup does the verse create?

By noting that the greatly wise Śivaśarmā addresses the younger person, it sets up a teacher–student (elder–junior) instruction scene, commonly used to convey dharma, devotion, or right understanding.