Shloka 13

Chapter 85: Suvarṇasya Janma ca Pradāna-Phalam

The Origin of Gold and the Merit of Gifting

Devanagari script

भगवती लक्ष्मीकी गौओंसे आश्रयके लिये प्रार्थना श्रीस्वाच किमेतद्‌ व: क्षमं गावो यन्मां नेहाभिनन्दथ । नमां सम्प्रति गृह्नीध्वं कस्माद्‌ वै दुर्लभां सतीम्‌

Transliteration

śrīr uvāca—kim etad vaḥ kṣamaṃ gāvo yan māṃ nehābhinandatha | na māṃ samprati gṛhṇīdhvaṃ kasmād vai durlabhāṃ satīm ||

Translation

室利（拉克什米）说道：“诸牛啊，怎会如此？你们在此竟不向我致意、不迎我入内，这岂是应当？我乃贞洁而吉祥者，且难得一见；为何此刻你们仍不肯接纳我？”

Word by Word

• श्रीः: Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• श्रीः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

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

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वः: of you / your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive, Plural

• क्षमम्: proper, fitting
• क्षमम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• गावः: O cows
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Plural

• यत्: that (the fact that)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• इह: here, in this matter
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• अभिनन्दथ: you (pl.) welcome / greet
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-नन्द् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Indicative, 2nd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• सम्प्रति: now, at present
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्प्रति

• गृह्णीध्वम्: accept (you all), take
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Imperative, 2nd, Plural, Ātmanepada

• कस्मात्: why? (from what reason)
• कस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• दुर्लभाम्: hard to obtain
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सतीम्: virtuous, good (woman)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; शतृ)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• Gāvaḥ (cows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames prosperity (Śrī/Lakṣmī) as something that must be properly welcomed and ethically received. It implies that auspicious fortune is rare and does not remain where reverence, right conduct, and fitting hospitality are absent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Lakṣmī addresses the cows directly, questioning why they are not greeting or accepting her. She emphasizes her rarity and virtuous nature, setting up a moralized dialogue about where prosperity chooses to reside and what conduct attracts or repels it.