Shloka 21

Bhāgīratha’s Tapas and the Petition to Gaṅgā (गङ्गावतरण-प्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

यज्ञियं तं विना हाश्वं नागन्तव्यं हि पुत्रका: । प्रतिगृहा तु संदेशं पितुस्ते सगरात्मजा:,तब वे पिताके पास आकर उनके आगे हाथ जोड़कर बोले--'“महाराज! हमने आपकी आज्ञासे समुद्र, वन, द्वीप, नदी, नद, कन्दरा, पर्वत और वन्य प्रदेशोंसहित सारी पृथ्वी खोज डाली, परंतु हमें न तो अश्व मिला न उसका चुरानेवाला ही।” युधिष्ठिर![ उनकी यह बात सुनकर राजा सगर क्रोधसे मूर्च्छित हो उठे और उस समय दैववश उन सबसे इस प्रकार बोले--“'जाओ, लौटकर न आना। पुनः घोड़ेका पता लगाओ। पुत्रो! उस यज्ञके अश्वको लिये बिना वापस न आना।” पिताका वह संदेश शिरोधार्य करके सगरपुत्रोंने फिर सारी पृथ्वीपर अश्वको ढूँढ़ना आरम्भ किया। तदनन्तर उन वीरोंने एक स्थानपर पृथ्वीमें दरार पड़ी हुई देखी

Transliteration

yajñiyaṃ taṃ vinā hāśvaṃ nāgantavyaṃ hi putrakāḥ | pratigṛhā tu saṃdeśaṃ pitus te sagarātmajāḥ ||

Translation

“Hỡi các con, không được trở về nếu thiếu con ngựa tế lễ ấy.” Khắc ghi mệnh lệnh của phụ vương, các con trai của Sagara lại lên đường.

Word by Word

यज्ञियम्sacrificial (pertaining to the sacrifice)

तम्that (him/it)

विनाwithout

हindeed/for emphasis

अश्वम्horse

नnot

आगन्तव्यम्must be come/should come (i.e., you should not come back)

हिfor/indeed

पुत्रकाःO sons/dear sons

प्रतिगृहाःthose who have received (it); recipients

तुbut/and

संदेशम्message/command

पितुःof (their) father

तेthey/those

सगरात्मजाःsons of Sagara

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sagara

Sagarātmajāḥ (sons of Sagara)

yajñiya aśva (sacrificial horse)

pitā (father/king)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds dharma as fidelity to a rightful command and to the integrity of a sacred duty: the sons must internalize their father’s injunction and not abandon the sacrificial obligation until the yajña’s horse is recovered.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sagara’s sons are charged to continue their quest for the stolen sacrificial horse. The verse frames the king’s directive as non-negotiable—return is forbidden unless the horse is found—thereby driving the next phase of their search.