Shloka 18

Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity

Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

वाजिनां श्यामकर्णानां हरितानां पितामह । प्रादां हेमस्रजां ब्रह्मन्‌ कोटीर्दश च सप्त च

Transliteration

vājināṁ śyāmakarṇānāṁ haritānāṁ pitāmaha | prādāṁ hemasrajāṁ brahman koṭīr daśa ca sapta ca ||

Translation

بھگیرتھ نے کہا—اے پِتامہ! میں نے سیاہ کانوں والے اور سبز مائل رنگت کے گھوڑے دان کیے؛ اور اے برہمن! سونے کے ہاروں کی دس اور سات—یعنی سترہ—کروڑ بھی عطا کیں۔

Word by Word

• वाजिनाम्: of horses
• वाजिनाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• श्यामकर्णानाम्: of black-eared (ones)
• श्यामकर्णानाम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्यामकर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• हरितानाम्: of greenish/bay (ones)
• हरितानाम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरित
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• पितामह: O grandsire
• पितामह: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रादाम्: I gave
• प्रादाम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (प्र-दा)
• Form: Aorist (simple past), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• हेमस्रजाम्: golden garlands
• हेमस्रजाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमस्रज्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कोटीः: crores (tens of millions)
• कोटीः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana
• Type: Numeral
• Root: दश
• Form: true

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: true

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana
• Type: Numeral
• Root: सप्त
• Form: true

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: true

Speaker

भगीरथ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhagīratha
• pitāmaha (Grandsire)
• brahman (a Brahman/sage addressee)
• horses (vājin)
• golden garlands (hemasraj)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dāna as a royal and ethical duty: lavish, well-specified gifts (valuable horses and golden garlands) are presented as acts that generate merit and uphold dharma when offered in a proper spirit to worthy recipients.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhagīratha is recounting the scale and nature of his gifts—describing particular horses and an immense number of golden garlands—addressing a revered elder (“pitāmaha”) and a Brahman/sage, in the context of discourse on charitable giving.