Shloka 48

Bhāgīratha’s Tapas and the Petition to Gaṅgā (गङ्गावतरण-प्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

तस्माद्‌ दुःखाभिसंतप्तं यज्ञविघ्नाच्च मोहितम्‌ | हयस्यानयनात्‌ पौत्र नरकान्मां समुद्धर,अतः पौत्र! यज्ञमें विघ्न पड़ जानेसे मैं मोहित और दु:खसे संतप्त हूँ। तुम अश्वको ले आकर नरकसे मेरा उद्धार करो

Transliteration

tasmād duḥkhābhisantaṁptaṁ yajñavighnāc ca mohitam | hayasyānayanāt pautra narakān māṁ samuddhara ataḥ pautra |

Translation

เพราะฉะนั้น หลานเอ๋ย เมื่อพิธียัญของเราถูกขัดขวาง เราจึงหลงมัวและถูกความโศกเผาผลาญ จงนำม้ายัญกลับมาเถิด; เมื่อได้มันคืนแล้ว จงกู้เราจากนรก—ฟื้นฟูพิธีให้ตั้งมั่น และกอบกู้เกียรติยศกับคติธรรมของเรา

Word by Word

तस्मात्therefore/from that reason

दुःखाभिसंतप्तम्afflicted/tormented by sorrow

यज्ञविघ्नात्from the obstruction of the sacrifice

चand

मोहितम्deluded/confused

हयस्यानयनात्by/from (the act of) bringing the horse

पौत्रO grandson

नरकात्from hell

माम्me

समुद्धरlift out/rescue

Speaker

सगर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sagara

pautra (grandson)

yajña (sacrifice)

aśva/haya (sacrificial horse)

naraka (hell)

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 emphasizes dharma as responsibility across generations: when a sacred duty (yajña) is obstructed, the family—especially descendants—must act to restore the rite and protect the ancestor’s spiritual welfare and honor.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sagara addresses his grandson, saying he is distressed and bewildered because his sacrifice has been disrupted. He urges the grandson to retrieve the sacrificial horse, so that the rite may be restored and Sagara may be delivered from a state described as naraka.