Shloka 59

Nāgendra–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Praśna-vidhi and Dharmic Approach on the Gomatī Riverbank

Devanagari script

स्थापयित्वा हयशिर उदक्पूर्वे महोदथौ । वेदानामालयं चापि बभूवाश्वशिरास्तत:

Transliteration

sthāpayitvā hayaśira udakpūrve mahodadhau | vedānām ālayaṃ cāpi babhūvāśvaśirās tataḥ ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: Matapos itatag ang Kanyang anyong may ulong kabayo sa dakilang karagatan sa silangan—bilang tahanan at kanlungan ng mga Veda—si Bhagavān Aśvaśiras ay nagbalik sa dating anyo. Mula noon, sinasabing nananahan doon ang Panginoong Hayagrīva bilang luklukan ng pag-iingat sa banal na kaalaman.

Word by Word

• स्थापयित्वा: having established/placed
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• हयशिरः: the horse-head (Hayashiras)
• हयशिरः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हयशिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उदक्पूर्वे: in the north-eastern (direction/part)
• उदक्पूर्वे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदक्पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• महोदधौ: in the great ocean
• महोदधौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महोदधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वेदानाम्: of the Vedas
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• आलयम्: abode/refuge
• आलयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• बभूव: became/was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अश्वशिराः: Ashvashiras (horse-headed one)
• अश्वशिराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वशिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ततः: then/thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Bhagavān (the Lord)
• Hayagrīva / Hayaśiras / Aśvaśiras
• Mahodadhi (the great ocean)
• Vedas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sacred knowledge (the Vedas) is portrayed as needing protection and a rightful ‘abode’; the Lord assumes a specific form (Hayagrīva) to safeguard and re-establish the foundations of dharma through the preservation of revelation.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator states that the Lord installs his horse-headed manifestation in the eastern great ocean as the seat of the Vedas, then returns to his prior form; thereafter Hayagrīva is understood to remain there as the enduring guardian of the Vedas.