Shloka 18

दक्षिणदिशि तीर्थवर्णनम्

Southern Tīrthas: Godāvarī to Dvāravatī

Devanagari script

भवानन्यद्‌ वन॑ साधु बद्धन्नं फलवच्छुचि । आखूयातु रमणीयं च सेवितं पुण्यकर्मभि:,“इसलिये आप हमें किसी ऐसे रमणीय वनका पता बतायें जो बहुत अच्छा, पवित्र, प्रचुर अन्न और फलसे सम्पन्न तथा पुण्यात्मा पुरुषोंद्वारा सेवित हो

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | bhavān anyad vanaṃ sādhu baddhānnaṃ phalavac chuci | ākhyātu ramaṇīyaṃ ca sevitaṃ puṇyakarmabhiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “Vì vậy, xin hãy chỉ cho chúng tôi một khu rừng khác—thật tốt lành và thanh tịnh—dồi dào lương thực tích trữ, trái cây phong phú, đáng vui để cư ngụ, và thường được những người có công đức lui tới.”

Word by Word

भवान्you (honored)

अन्यत्another (some other)

वनम्forest

साधुwell, properly; good

बद्धान्नम्having prepared/provided food (lit. ‘bound/arranged food’)

फलवत्fruitful; rich in fruits

शुचिpure, clean

आख्यायातुtell, point out, inform

रमणीयम्delightful, charming

चand

सेवितम्frequented, inhabited, resorted to

पुण्यकर्मभिःby men of meritorious deeds / by the virtuous

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

vana (forest)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse values choosing a dwelling aligned with dharma: a place that is pure, sustaining, and associated with the company of the virtuous—suggesting that environment and companionship support ethical living.

What is happening in the narrative?

A request is being made—through Vaiśampāyana’s narration—for guidance to another suitable forest: pleasant, well-provisioned, and sanctified by the presence of meritorious people, fitting for righteous living in the wilderness.