Shloka 29

Tapas-śreṣṭhatā: Anāśana as the Highest Austerity

Bhagīratha–Brahmā Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

अष्टौ सहस्राणि ककुझिनामहं शुक्लर्षभाणामददं द्विजेभ्य: । एकैकं वै काउचनं शंंगमे भ्य: पत्नीश्षैषामदरद निष्ककण्ठी:

Transliteration

aṣṭau sahasrāṇi kakudvinām ahaṃ śuklarṣabhāṇām adadaṃ dvijebhyaḥ | ekaikaṃ vai kāñcanaṃ śṛṅgamebhyaḥ patnīś ca teṣām adadaṃ niṣkakaṇṭhīḥ ||

Translation

Bhagīratha thưa: “Con đã bố thí cho hàng dvija (Bà-la-môn) tám nghìn con bò đực trắng, u bướu nổi rõ. Trên mỗi con, con cho dát vàng lên từng chiếc sừng; và con cũng ban cho họ những con bò cái được trang sức bằng vòng cổ vàng. Như thế con đã làm việc bố thí trong tinh thần dharma—tôn kính bậc xứng đáng và khẳng định lý tưởng đạo đức của lòng hào hiệp.”

Word by Word

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• ककुद्वताम्: of humped (bulls)
• ककुद्वताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ककुद्वत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• शुक्ल-ऋषभाणाम्: of white bulls
• शुक्ल-ऋषभाणाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल + ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अददम्: I gave
• अददम्: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 1st, Singular

• द्विजेभ्यः: to the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

• एक-एकम्: each one (one by one)
• एक-एकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + एक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• काञ्चनम्: gold
• काञ्चनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काञ्चन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शृङ्गे: in (the) horn
• शृङ्गे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्ग
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• भ्यः: (corrupt fragment; likely part of द्विजेभ्यः or similar)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भ्यः

• पत्नीः: wives
• पत्नीः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• एषाम्: of these (Brahmins)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Genitive, Plural

• अददम्: I gave
• अददम्: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 1st, Singular

• निष्ककण्ठीः: wearing gold neck-ornaments (gold-necklaced)
• निष्ककण्ठीः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्ककण्ठी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

भगीरथ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhagīratha
• Brāhmaṇas (dvija)
• White bulls (śuklarṣabha)
• Cows (patnīḥ)
• Gold (kāñcana/niṣka)
• Horns (śṛṅga)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dāna as a central expression of dharma: a ruler gains ethical merit by giving valuable, well-prepared gifts to worthy recipients (here, brāhmaṇas), emphasizing generosity, respect, and responsible wealth.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhagīratha recounts his acts of charity: he donated eight thousand white, humped bulls to brāhmaṇas, with gold fitted on each horn, and also gave cows adorned with golden neck-ornaments—illustrating the scale and intentionality of his gifts.