Shloka 4

The Marks of Merit and the Destinies of Beings

Divine vs Demonic Traits

Devanagari script

प्रासादा यत्र सौवर्णा नानारत्नाविभूषिताः । सर्वकामप्रदा वृक्षाः स्वर्णदीतोय संयुताः

Transliteration

prāsādā yatra sauvarṇā nānāratnāvibhūṣitāḥ | sarvakāmapradā vṛkṣāḥ svarṇadītoya saṃyutāḥ

Translation

Doon, ang mga palasyo’y gawang ginto at pinalamutian ng sari-saring hiyas; ang mga punò’y nagbibigay ng lahat ng ninanais, at ang mga ilog ay may tubig na dumadaloy na kasabay ng ginto.

Word by Word

• प्रासादाः: palaces
• प्रासादाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक अव्यय (relative locative adverb: 'where')

• सौवर्णाः: golden
• सौवर्णाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying प्रासादाः)

• नाना-रत्न-अविभूषिताः: adorned with various jewels
• नाना-रत्न-अविभूषिताः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय) + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + अविभूषित (कृदन्त; √भूष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) 'अविभूषित' = adorned; समासः (तत्पुरुष) 'नानारत्नैः अविभूषिताः'

• सर्व-काम-प्रदाः: granting all desires
• सर्व-काम-प्रदाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (कृदन्त; √दा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कृदन्त 'प्रद' (giver); समासः (तत्पुरुष) 'सर्वान् कामान् प्रददाति'

• वृक्षाः: trees
• वृक्षाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• स्वर्ण-दी-तोय-संयुताः: endowed with golden river-water
• स्वर्ण-दी-तोय-संयुताः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + दी (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (कृदन्त; √युज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त 'संयुत' = endowed/connected; समासः (तत्पुरुष) 'स्वर्णदीतोयेन संयुताः' (with golden river-water / with water of golden rivers)

Speaker

Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses to confirm the dialogue frame, e.g., Pulastya–Bhīṣma).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shringara

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: नानारत्नाविभूषिताः = नाना-रत्न-अविभूषिताः; सर्वकामप्रदा = सर्व-काम-प्रदाः; स्वर्णदीतोय संयुताः (पाठे संधिः) = स्वर्ण-दी-तोय-संयुताः (समास/संधि-विग्रहः).

FAQs

What does this verse convey about the nature of the realm being described?

It depicts an extraordinary, otherworldly region marked by abundance and splendor—golden palaces, jewel-ornamentation, wish-fulfilling trees, and rivers associated with gold—typical of Purāṇic descriptions of divine or merit-born realms.

How does the idea of “sarvakāmapradā vṛkṣāḥ” function in Purāṇic theology?

Wish-fulfilling trees symbolize a realm where scarcity is absent and desires are effortlessly met, often used to indicate the fruit of great merit (puṇya) or proximity to the divine order rather than ordinary earthly conditions.

What ethical or spiritual lesson can be drawn from such imagery?

The imagery underscores that higher realms are portrayed as results of elevated virtue and spiritual attainment; it also implicitly contrasts transient material splendor with the deeper pursuit of dharma and liberation emphasized elsewhere in Purāṇic teaching.