Shloka 13

Adhyāya 96: Nārada Guides Mātali in Varuṇa’s Realm

Varuṇa-loka Darśana

Devanagari script

गुणकेशीति विख्याता नाम्ना सा देवरूपिणी । श्रिया च वपुषा चैव स्त्रियो5न्या: सातिरिच्यते

Transliteration

guṇakeśīti vikhyātā nāmnā sā devarūpiṇī | śriyā ca vapuṣā caiva striyo 'nyāḥ sātiricyate ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Kaṇva: “Ang dalagang iyon, na tila may anyong makalangit, ay kilala sa pangalang Guṇakeśī. Sa ningning at sa ganda ng kanyang anyo, nalampasan niya ang lahat ng ibang babae noong panahong iyon.”

Word by Word

• गुणकेशी: Guṇakeśī (the girl named so)
• गुणकेशी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुणकेशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• विख्याता: well-known, renowned
• विख्याता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-ख्यात (धातु √ख्यात/√ख्या, क्त)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• सा: she
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• देवरूपिणी: having a divine form, godlike
• देवरूपिणी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवरूपिणी (प्रातिपदिक; देवरूपिन्-स्त्री)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रिया: by beauty/splendour
• श्रिया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

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

• वपुषा: by body/figure
• वपुषा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• अन्याः: other
• अन्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• सा: she
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अतिरिच्यते: surpasses, excels
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-√रिच् (धातु; लट्, आत्मनेपद)
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada, Active (middle endings)

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kaṇva
• Guṇakeśī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how extraordinary qualities (śrī and vapuḥ) make a person stand out, while also framing beauty as an auspicious attribute (śrī) that can influence how a character is perceived within dharmic narrative.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇva introduces and describes a maiden named Guṇakeśī, emphasizing her divine appearance and her unmatched beauty among women of her time, setting her up as a significant figure in the unfolding account.