Shloka 19

बक-गौतमाख्यानम् / The Baka–Gautama Account

On Gratitude and Friendship Ethics

Devanagari script

पतत्रिमृगमीनाश्च प्लवड्राश्न महोरगा: । तथा पक्षिगणा: सर्वे जलस्थलविचारिण:

Transliteration

patatrimṛgamīnāś ca plavaḍrāśn mahoragāḥ | tathā pakṣigaṇāḥ sarve jalasthalavicāriṇaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“飞禽、走兽与鱼类；水族与大蛇；以及一切往来于水陆之间的群鸟——这些诸类众生，皆在造化之程中次第而出。”

Word by Word

• पतत्रि: birds (winged creatures)
• पतत्रि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतत्रिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मृग: deer/wild animals
• मृग: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मीनाः: fish
• मीनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मीन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• प्लव: jumping animals; monkeys (plava)
• प्लव: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• द्राश्न: aquatic creatures (reading uncertain)
• द्राश्न: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्राश्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महोरगाः: great serpents
• महोरगाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महो-उरग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: likewise/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• पक्षि-गणाः: flocks/groups of birds
• पक्षि-गणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षि + गण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जल-स्थल-विचारिणः: moving about in water and on land
• जल-स्थल-विचारिणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल + स्थल + विचारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• patatri (birds)
• mṛga (beasts)
• mīna (fishes)
• plava (aquatic creatures)
• mahoraga (great serpents/nāgas)
• pakṣigaṇa (flocks of birds)
• jala (water)
• sthala (land)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the comprehensive scope of creation—multiple classes of beings arise within an ordered cosmos—supporting a dharmic attitude of respect and restraint toward all life forms.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing categories of creatures—birds, animals, fish, aquatic beings, great serpents, and birds that range over water and land—as part of a broader account of how the living world comes into being.