Shloka 48

Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda

Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity

Devanagari script

पितरश्न महाभागा: पूजयन्ति सम तं मुनिम्‌ । उनका यह प्रश्न सुनकर सम्पूर्ण देवता, तपोधन ऋषि तथा महाभाग पितर विद्युत्प्रभ मुनिकी भूरि-भूरि प्रशंसा करने लगे ।।

Transliteration

pitaraś ca mahābhāgāḥ pūjayanti sma taṃ munim | śakra uvāca: kurukṣetraṃ gayāṃ caiva gaṅgāṃ prabhāsaṃ puṣkarāṇi ca |

Translation

Các Pitṛs phúc đức (tổ phụ) đang cung kính tôn thờ vị hiền triết ấy. Nghe câu hỏi kia, toàn thể chư thiên, các ṛṣi giàu kho báu khổ hạnh, cùng các Pitṛs đại phúc đều hết lời tán dương vị muni rực sáng như điện quang. Rồi Śakra (Indra) cất lời, xướng danh những thánh địa lừng danh: Kurukṣetra, Gayā, sông Gaṅgā, Prabhāsa và Puṣkara.

Word by Word

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरुक्षेत्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गयाम्: Gayā
• गयाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गडाम्: Gadā (a tīrtha/place-name)
• गडाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गडा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa
• प्रभासम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पुष्कराणि: Puṣkaras (Puṣkara lakes/holy places)
• पुष्कराणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (Pitaras)
• Muni (the sage)
• Śakra (Indra)
• Kurukṣetra
• Gayā
• Gaṅgā
• Prabhāsa
• Puṣkara

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Honoring the worthy—especially sages—and remembering sacred tīrthas are presented as dharmic supports; reverence (pūjā) and sanctity (tīrtha-smaraṇa) reinforce ethical life and ancestral obligations.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Pitṛs are shown venerating a sage; immediately after, Indra speaks and begins enumerating major holy places (Kurukṣetra, Gayā, Gaṅgā, Prabhāsa, Puṣkara), signaling a discussion centered on tīrthas and their religious-ethical significance.