Shloka 1

Cavana’s Tests of Kuśika and the Queen (अध्याय ५३: च्यवन–कुशिक-परिक्षा)

Devanagari script

भीकम (2 अमान पज्चाशत्तमो<्ध्याय: गौओंकी महिमाके प्रसंगमें च्यवन मुनिके उपाख्यानका आरम्भ

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca—darśane kīdṛśaḥ snehaḥ saṃvāse ca pitāmaha? mahābhāgyaṃ gavāṃ caiva tan me vyākhyātum arhasi.

Translation

由提施提罗说道：“祖父啊，仅凭一见便生起的情爱是怎样的？因同住相处而滋长的情爱又是怎样的？又，牛之大福德与神圣卓越究竟为何？愿您为我详加开示。”

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दर्शने: in seeing/at the time of seeing
• दर्शने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कीदृशः: what kind (of)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्नेहः: affection, attachment
• स्नेहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नेह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संवासे: in living together/association
• संवासे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवास
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• पितामह: O grandsire (Bhīṣma)
• पितामह: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• महाभाग्यम्: great good fortune/excellence
• महाभाग्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गवाम्: of cows
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

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

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मे: to me/for me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• व्याख्यातुम्: to explain
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्याख्या + कृ (कृ)
• Form: Tumun (infinitive)

• अर्हसि: you are able/ought (to)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह्
• Form: Present, Indicative, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pitāmaha (Bhīṣma)
• Gāvaḥ (cows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical inquiry into how human attachment forms—through mere perception versus sustained companionship—and introduces the dharmic theme of the cow’s sanctity and beneficence, inviting a normative explanation from Bhīṣma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira begins a new line of questioning to Bhīṣma, asking him to explain the nature of affection and to expound the greatness of cows, which sets up the ensuing discourse and related exemplum (upākhyāna) in the chapter.