Shloka 1

Adhyāya 108: Paścima-dik—Varuṇa’s Realm, Sunset Cosmology, and Sacred-Geographic Markers

Suparṇa–Gālava संवाद

Devanagari script

ऑपनआ कराता बछ। अर: 2 नवाधिकशततमो<्ध्याय: दक्षिणदिशाका वर्णन युपर्ण उवाच इयं विवस्वता पूर्व श्रेतेन विधिना किल । गुरवे दक्षिणा दत्ता दक्षिणेत्युच्यते च दिक्‌

Transliteration

Yuparṇa uvāca: iyaṁ Vivasvatā pūrvaṁ śreteṇa vidhinā kila | gurave dakṣiṇā dattā dakṣiṇety ucyate ca dik ||

Translation

Yuparṇa nói: “Thuở xưa, người ta kể rằng phương này đã được Vivasvat (Thần Mặt Trời) dâng cho thầy của mình làm dakṣiṇā—lễ vật thù lao theo đúng nghi thức đã định. Vì thế nó được gọi là phương Nam (dakṣiṇā), bởi chính nó từng là một dakṣiṇā (lễ vật thiêng, phí tôn sư).”

Word by Word

• युपर्णः: Yuparṇa (proper name)
• युपर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युपर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विवस्वता: by Vivasvat (the Sun)
• विवस्वता: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवस्वत्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व

• श्रुतेन: by what was heard / by tradition
• श्रुतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• विधिना: by the prescribed rule/rite
• विधिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• किल: indeed, it is said
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल

• गुरवे: to the teacher
• गुरवे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• दक्षिणा: a sacrificial fee/gift (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दत्ता: given
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: kta (past passive participle), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दक्षिणा: Dakṣiṇā / the right (southern) side (as a name)
• दक्षिणा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• उच्यते: is called / is said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Present, Passive, 3rd, Singular

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

• दिक्: direction (quarter)
• दिक्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

युपर्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• युपर्ण (Yuparṇa)
• विवस्वत् (Vivasvat / Sūrya)
• गुरु (teacher)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links sacred geography with dharma: honoring one’s teacher through a proper dakṣiṇā (ritually sanctioned gift) is upheld as an exemplary act, and even the naming of a direction is explained through that ethical-ritual ideal.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yuparṇa begins a description of the southern quarter (dakṣiṇa-diś) and offers an etymological tradition: it is called ‘dakṣiṇā’ because Vivasvat once gave it as a dakṣiṇā to his guru according to prescribed rites.