Shloka 22
Devanagari script
समालभ्य तत स्सर्वे कृत्वा चैनं प्रदक्षिणम्।।।।षष्टि: पुत्रसहस्राणि बिभिदुर्वसुधातलम्।
Transliteration
samālabhya tataḥ sarve kṛtvā cainaṃ pradakṣiṇam |
ṣaṣṭiḥ putra-sahasrāṇi bibhidur vasudhātalam ||
Translation
随后他们众人——那六万王子——触礼于他，并右绕致敬，便击穿大地表层，继续向前深入。
Word by Word
samālabhyahaving touched/laid hold of
samālabhya:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
TypeVerb
Rootsam-ā-labh (धातु)
FormAbsolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), from √labh with upasargas सम्+आ; indeclinable verbal form
tataḥthen/thereafter
tataḥ:
Kāla/Anantarya (काल/अनन्तर्य)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottatas (प्रातिपदिक)
FormAvyaya (अव्यय), adverb of sequence
sarveall (of them)
sarve:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsarva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन)
kṛtvāhaving done/made
kṛtvā:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
TypeVerb
Rootkṛ (धातु)
FormAbsolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), from √kṛ; indeclinable verbal form
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya (अव्यय), conjunction (समुच्चय)
enamthis one/him
enam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootidam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन)
pradakṣiṇamcircumambulation (keeping to the right)
pradakṣiṇam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootpradakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन); used with √kṛ in sense of ‘perform’
ṣaṣṭiḥsixty
ṣaṣṭiḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
TypeNoun
Rootṣaṣṭi (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); numeral used with following noun
putra-sahasrāṇithousands of sons (i.e., sixty thousand sons)
putra-sahasrāṇi:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootputra (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound: ‘sons-thousands’ = ‘thousands of sons’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन)
bibhiduḥthey split/pierced
bibhiduḥ:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootbhid (धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) Plural (बहुवचन)
vasudhātalamthe surface of the earth
vasudhātalam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootvasudhā (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन)
Context
Then all sixty thousand sons having touched the elephant and circumambulated it, penetrated the earth.
Characters & Entities
E
earth (vasudhā)FAQs
Dharma is enacted through respectful engagement: touch and circumambulation signify acknowledgment of sacred guardianship before undertaking forceful action (digging).
After encountering the northern guardian elephant, Sagara’s sons ritually honor him and continue their penetration of the earth.
Reverence joined to resolve: they proceed firmly, but not without the courtesies that tradition associates with righteous conduct.