Shloka 19

Vṛddha-kanyā-carita and Balarāma’s Kurukṣetra Inquiry (वृद्धकन्या-चरितम् / कुरुक्षेत्रफल-प्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

प्रस्ुतासि महाभागे सरसो ब्रह्मण: पुरा

Transliteration

prasūtāsi mahābhāge saraso brahmaṇaḥ purā | saritāṃ śreṣṭhe sarasvati kaṭhora-vrata-pālināḥ munayas tava mahimānaṃ viduḥ | priya-darśane tvaṃ sadā mama api priyaṃ karoti | ataḥ vara-varṇini ayaṃ loka-bhāvanaḥ mahān putras tavaiva nāmnā “sārasvata” iti khyātiṃ gamiṣyati ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：“尊贵的女神啊，远古之时你从梵天之湖中显现。萨拉斯瓦蒂，诸河之最，持严誓的圣仙皆知你的伟大。可爱者啊，你也常常施恩于我。因此，肤色明丽的女神啊，你这位泽被世间的伟大之子，将以你的名号而称为‘萨拉斯瓦塔（Sārasvata）’。”

Word by Word

• प्रसूतासि: you were born/you have arisen
• प्रसूतासि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रसू (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 2, Singular, Parasmaipada

• असि: you are
• असि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 2, Singular, Parasmaipada

• महाभागे: O greatly fortunate one
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• सरसः: from the lake
• सरसः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पुरा: formerly/once
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Brahmā
• Sarasvatī
• Sārasvata (son/descendant named after Sarasvatī)
• muni (sages)
• Brahmā’s lake (sarasaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links spiritual greatness with recognized austerity and sacred origin: Sarasvatī’s sanctity is affirmed by sages, and the act of naming a beneficent son after her underscores how identity and renown are grounded in revered sources and virtues.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana praises Sarasvatī, recalling her emergence from Brahmā’s lake and her esteem among ascetic sages, and declares that a great, world-benefiting son will be known by her name as ‘Sārasvata.’