Shloka 5

Adhyāya 118: Saciva-parīkṣā

Testing and Appointment of Ministers/Servants

Devanagari script

ततः: कमलषण्डानि शललकीगहनानि च । व्यचरत्‌ स मुदायुक्तः पद्मरेणुविभूषित:,तदनन्तर वह हाथी कमलोंके परागसे विभूषित और आनन्दित हो कमलसमूहों तथा शल्लकी लताकी झाड़ियोंमें विचरने लगा

Transliteration

tataḥ kamalaṣaṇḍāni śalalakīgahanāni ca | vyacarat sa mudāyuktaḥ padmareṇuvibhūṣitaḥ ||

Translation

Pagkatapos, ang elepanteng iyon—nababalutan ng polen ng mga lotus at puspos ng galak—ay gumala sa mga kumpol ng halamang lotus at sa makakapal na masukal na baging na śalalakī.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय

• कमलषण्डानि: clusters of lotuses
• कमलषण्डानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमलषण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• शललकीगहनानि: thickets dense with śalalakī (a creeper/plant)
• शललकीगहनानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शललकीगहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: अव्यय

• व्यचरत्: roamed, wandered about
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चर् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सः: he (that one)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुदायुक्तः: endowed with joy, delighted
• मुदायुक्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुदा + युक्त (युक्त—कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पद्मरेणुविभूषितः: adorned with lotus-pollen
• पद्मरेणुविभूषितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद्मरेणु + विभूषित (विभूषित—कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• elephant
• lotus clusters (kamalaṣaṇḍa)
• lotus pollen (padmareṇu)
• śalalakī creeper thickets

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Through a tranquil natural image—an elephant joyfully roaming among lotuses—the passage suggests the value of serenity and harmony with one’s proper environment, implicitly contrasting peaceful contentment with agitated, desire-driven wandering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes an elephant that, dusted with lotus pollen, happily moves about amid lotus clusters and dense creeper thickets, painting a vivid scene of carefree roaming in a lotus-filled landscape.