Shloka 12

Śuka’s Guṇa-Transcendence and Vyāsa’s Consolation (शुकगति-वर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

सा प्राप्य मिथिलां रम्यां प्रभूतजनसंकुलाम्‌ | भैक्ष्यचर्यापदेशेन ददर्श मिथिलेश्वरम्‌

Transliteration

sā prāpya mithilāṁ ramyāṁ prabhūtajana-saṅkulām | bhaikṣya-caryā-apadeśena dadarśa mithileśvaram ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：她来到美丽的弥提罗城，城中人众熙攘。出家女行者苏拉婆以托钵乞食为名，得以瞻见弥提罗之主。

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• प्राप्य: having reached
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• मिथिलाम्: Mithilā (city)
• मिथिलाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिथिला
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• रम्याम्: lovely
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रभूत-जन-संकुलाम्: crowded with many people
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रभूत + जन + संकुल
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• भैक्ष्य-चर्या-अपदेशेन: by the pretext of mendicant-round (begging)
• भैक्ष्य-चर्या-अपदेशेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैक्ष्य + चर्या + अपदेश
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ददर्श: saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मिथिला-ईश्वरम्: the lord/king of Mithilā
• मिथिला-ईश्वरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिथिला + ईश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Sulabhā
• Mithilā
• Mithilā’s ruler (Janaka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets up an ethical inquiry: genuine renunciation and wisdom can confront worldly authority without hostility, using accepted social forms (like alms-rounds) to initiate a dharmic examination of power, identity, and detachment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sulabhā arrives in the populous, beautiful city of Mithilā and, pretending to be on an alms-round, gains access to see the king of Mithilā (Janaka), initiating the famous encounter that follows.