Shloka 91

Narmadā

Revā) Tīrtha Greatness: The Gandharva Maidens’ Curse Narrative (Acchodā Episode Begins

Devanagari script

क्व वयं सुरसुंदर्य्यः क्व भवांस्तापसो बटुः । दुर्घटस्य विधानेन मन्ये धातैव पंडितः

Transliteration

kva vayaṃ surasuṃdaryyaḥ kva bhavāṃstāpaso baṭuḥ | durghaṭasya vidhānena manye dhātaiva paṃḍitaḥ

Translation

เราผู้เป็นนางฟ้าสวรรค์ผู้เลอโฉมอยู่ที่ไหน และท่านผู้เป็นบัณฑิตหนุ่มนักบำเพ็ญตบะอยู่ที่ไหนเล่า? การจัดวางสิ่งที่ดูเป็นไปไม่ได้เช่นนี้ ข้าคิดว่า มีแต่ธาตา—ผู้สร้าง—เท่านั้นที่เป็นผู้รู้แท้

Word by Word

• kva: where; how
• kva: Avyaya-function
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative adverb (प्रश्न-क्रियाविशेषण): 'where?/what place?' used idiomatically 'how (can it be)?'

• vayam: we
• vayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन), Common gender by sense

• sura-sundaryaḥ: heavenly beauties
• sura-sundaryaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (appositional)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + sundarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष): 'surāṇāṃ sundaryaḥ' (beauties of the gods / heavenly beauties); Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); apposition to 'vayam'

• kva: where; how
• kva: Avyaya-function
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative adverb (प्रश्न-क्रियाविशेषण), repeated for contrast

• bhavān: you (hon.)
• bhavān: Karta (कर्ता) (in implied clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun of respect (भवत्-शब्द), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• tāpasaḥ: ascetic
• tāpasaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (appositional)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāpasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); in apposition to 'bhavān'

• baṭuḥ: a young brahmacārin; boy-student
• baṭuḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (appositional)
• Type: Noun
• Root: baṭu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); further apposition

• durghaṭasya: of the difficult (thing)
• durghaṭasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध) (genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durghaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) (or Masculine by context), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies an implied 'kāryasya/vidhānasya': 'of the difficult (thing)'

• vidhānena: by arrangement; by contrivance
• vidhānena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• manye: I think
• manye: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (मन् धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• dhātā: the Creator (Dhātā)
• dhātā: Karta (कर्ता) (of implied 'asti')
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhātṛ (धातृ प्रातिपदिक) (creator; Brahmā)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avyaya-function
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), restrictive/emphatic: 'indeed/only'

• paṇḍitaḥ: wise; clever
• paṇḍitaḥ: Vidheyapada (विधेयपद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṇḍita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); predicate noun with implied 'asti'

Speaker

Unspecified (likely a celestial maiden/apsaras addressing an ascetic youth)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shringara

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: bhavāṃs tāpasaḥ → bhavān + tāpasaḥ (anusvāra/ṃs representation); dhātā eva → dhātā + eva (dhātaiva).

Characters & Entities

• Dhātā (Creator, i.e., Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the central idea of this verse?

It highlights the improbability of a meeting between celestial maidens and an ascetic youth, attributing such unlikely conjunctions to the Creator’s (Dhātā/Brahmā’s) providential arrangement.

Who is “Dhātā” in this context?

Dhātā is an epithet meaning “the Creator” or “the Ordainer,” commonly understood as Brahmā in Purāṇic usage.

What ethical or spiritual lesson does the verse suggest?

It suggests humility before cosmic order: events that seem incongruous or impossible may occur through divine orchestration, reminding one not to overestimate personal control or judgment.