Shloka 21

Adhyaya 6 — Balarama’s Dilemma, Drunken Wanderings in Revata’s Grove, and the Slaying of the Suta

Sanskrit

कह्लारैः कमलैश्चापि आचितानि समन्ततः /

कादम्बैश्चक्रवाकैश्च तथैव जलकुक्कुटैः

Transliteration

kahlāraiḥ kamalaiś cāpi ācitāni samantataḥ /

kādambaiś cakravākaiś ca tathaiva jalakukkuṭaiḥ

Translation

چاروں طرف وہ سفید کاهلار اور سرخ کنولوں سے گھنے بھرے ہوئے تھے؛ نیز کادَمب پرندے، چکروَاک بطخیں اور جلکُکُّٹ وغیرہ آبی پرندے بھی موجود تھے۔

Word by Word

• kahlāraiḥ: with kahlāra lotuses
• kahlāraiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kahlāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• kamalaiḥ: with lotuses
• kamalaiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kamala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• ācitāni: filled/covered
• ācitāni: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√ci (चि धातु) + kta (क्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle/क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); (सरांसि) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• samantataḥ: on all sides
• samantataḥ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-Adv)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb/देशवाचक अव्यय

• kādambaiḥ: with kādamba birds (geese/ducks)
• kādambaiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kādamba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• cakravākaiḥ: with cakravāka birds
• cakravākaiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakravāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle/निश्चयार्थक अव्यय

• jala-kukkuṭaiḥ: with waterfowl (water-cocks)
• jala-kukkuṭaiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक) + kukkuṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जलस्य कुक्कुटाः)

Speakers

• Narratorial description (no direct speech indicated in this verse alone)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "shrngara", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Sacred geography/nature imagery
• Poetic description (kāvya-style)
• Auspicious landscape (lakes/lotuses/birds)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse functions as an auspicious tableau: abundance of lotuses and harmonious water-birds signals a sattvic, dharmically ‘fit’ setting for ensuing narration. In Purāṇic rhetoric, such natural plenitude often frames a place as conducive to tapas, learning, or sacred discourse.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse is not directly sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita. It is best classified as ancillary narrative description (upavarṇana) supporting a story-setting rather than one of the five lakṣaṇas.

What is the esoteric significance?

Lotuses conventionally symbolize purity arising from the waters of saṃsāra; the lake filled ‘on all sides’ suggests a mind-field pervaded by clarity. Birds like the cakravāka, famed in Sanskrit poetics, can imply longing and reunion themes—subtle emotional coloration that prepares the listener for narrative movement.