Shloka 136

धर्मस्य बहुद्वारत्वम् — Nārada’s Audience with Indra (Śānti-parva 340)

Devanagari script

गत्वान्तरिक्षात्‌ सततं क्षीरोदममृताशयम्‌

Transliteration

gatvāntarikṣāt satataṃ kṣīrodam amṛtāśayam

Translation

ویشَمپایَن نے کہا—وہ فضائی راہ سے برابر گزرتے ہوئے کِشیروَد (دودھ کے سمندر) کی طرف گئے، جو اَمرت (لازوالیت) کا مسکن اور خزانہ سمجھا جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (अव्ययभावे), कर्तरि, —, —, —

• अन्तरिक्षात्: from the sky/atmosphere
• अन्तरिक्षात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तरिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• सततम्: constantly, continuously
• सततम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण

• क्षीरोदम्: the Milk Ocean
• क्षीरोदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीरोद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अमृताशयम्: whose abode is nectar; containing nectar
• अमृताशयम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृताशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Antarikṣa (mid-air)
• Kṣīroda (Ocean of Milk)
• Amṛta

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line evokes the ideal of steadfast pursuit of a higher goal: moving continuously toward the symbolic source of amṛta suggests disciplined striving for what grants enduring well-being—spiritual excellence rather than transient gain.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a journey: traveling through the sky (antarikṣa), the travelers proceed unceasingly toward the Kṣīroda, the mythic Ocean of Milk, famed as the dwelling-place of amṛta.