[About the Verse: Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī says that the sages glorify Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī in order to ask the questions that they desire to get answered from him. Their glorification lasts for three verses beginning with the current verse. A question may arise — “Why is such praise necessary? Can they not simply start asking questions without these formalities that may seemingly appear to be artificial?”
The answer is that the sages do not praise him artificially. All the praise that has been offered here is based on genuine facts. Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī had actually studied and explained an immense amount of Vedic literature to others. Moreover, the general policy is that we should speak pleasing words to everyone, especially to one from whom we are expecting some knowledge and realization:
priya-vākya-pradānena sarve tuṣyanti jantavaḥ
tasmāt tad eva vaktavyaṁ vacane kā daridratā
By offering sweet words, all living entities are satisfied. Therefore, we should speak only sweet words. Do we lose any wealth by speaking sweet words? (Answer: No) Then why display a miserable nature while speaking sweet words to others? (Vṛddha-cāṇakya-nīti-darpaṇa, 16.33)
Śrī Vīrarāghavācārya says that the questions by the sages will continue till the end of this chapter. ]
(1.1.6)
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ
tvayā khalu purāṇāni
setihāsāni cānagha
ākhyātāny apy adhītāni
dharma-śāstrāṇi yāny uta
tvayā khalu purāṇāni
setihāsāni cānagha
ākhyātāny apy adhītāni
dharma-śāstrāṇi yāny uta
One possible translation:
(ṛṣaya ūcuḥ): the sages said,
(anagha): “O sinless one!
(khalu): certainly (or factually)
(purāṇāni): the purāṇas
(setihāsāni): along with itihāsas (historical narrations)
(ca uta yāni): and as well as all available
(dharma-śāstrāṇi): dharma-śāstras (Vedic literature dealing with codes of religion)
(adhītāni): have been studied
(api): as well as
(ākhyātāni): have been explained (to others)
(tvayā): by you.”
(Q.1) What is the significance and meaning of the phrase ‘ṛṣaya ūcuḥ’?
Ans) This phrase breaks down as ṛṣayaḥ + ūcuḥ. When combining them together, the ‘ḥ’ at the end of ṛṣayaḥ is elided by the following grammar rules:
ṛṣayaḥ + ūcuḥ
= ṛṣayas + ūcuḥ (the visarga ḥ here is nothing but the consonant ‘s’ from the suffix ‘jas’)
= ṛṣaya + ru + ūcuḥ (the ‘s’ at the end changes to ‘ru’ by the rule sa-sajuṣo ṛuḥ - Aṣṭādhyāyī 8.2.66)
= ṛṣaya + r + ūcuḥ (the ‘u’ of ‘ru’ is elided by the rule upadeśe ’janunāsika it – Aṣṭādhyāyī 1.3.2)
= ṛṣaya + y + ūcuḥ (the ‘r’ changes to ‘y’ by the rule bho-bhago-agho-apūrvasya yo ’śi – Aṣṭādhyāyī 8.3.17)
= ṛṣaya + ūcuḥ (the ‘y’ gets optional elision by the rule lopaḥ śākalyasya – Aṣṭādhyāyī 8.3.19)
The term ṛṣayaḥ is plural of the term ṛṣiḥ. Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī says in his commentary to Śrīmad-bhāgavatam (10.87.35) — ṛṣayaḥ sarva-śāstrārtha-tattvajñāḥ — ṛṣis are those who are aware of the conclusive meanings of all the scriptures. The vyākhyā-sudhā of Rāmāśramī on the Amara-koṣaḥ says — ṛṣanti jānanti — they who know things correctly are known as ṛṣis. This term ṛṣi is etymologically derived from the verbal root √ṛṣ (gatau). The suffix ‘in’ is added to this root using the Uṇādi-sūtra (4.120) ig-upadhāt kit. This gives us ṛṣ + in from where we get ṛṣiḥ.
The term ūcuḥ is the third person plural perfect past verbal form of the root √vac (paribhāṣaṇe).
(Q.2) What is the significance and meaning of the term ‘tvayā’?
Ans) This term is the instrumental singular case of the pronoun yuṣmad. It means — ‘by you’. No other comments by any ācārya.
(Q.3) What is the significance and meaning of the term ‘khalu’?
Ans) The Amara-koṣaḥ (3.4.255) says that the term khalu is used in the following contexts:
(a) niṣedha (restriction) — e.g. khalu kṛtvā — this is not to be done.
(b) vākyālaṅkāra (to add style to a sentence by emphasizing something) — e.g. etat khalu āhuḥ — this was what was actually said (the term khalu, ‘actually’ should be spoken with emphasis here).
(c) jijñāsā (inquiry) — e.g. na khalu kāryam ¬— should this not be done?
(d) anunaya (persuasion) — e.g. na khalu na khalu kurv idam — please don’t, please don’t do this.
Besides this, other lexicons specify some other contexts too. Srila Prabhupada in the synonyms translates this term as ‘undoubtedly’.
Śrī Vallabhācārya says — khalu iti stuti-vyāvṛttiḥ —the term 'khalu' is used to indicate that this is not merely flattery. Gosvāmī Giridharalāla adds detail to this by saying — khalu-śabdo niścayārthaḥ. tena na kevalaṁ stuti-mātraṁ kurmaḥ kintu niścitam eva vadāma iti sūcayanti — the term khalu is used to specify certainty and by this term, the sages want to say that they are not merely engaging in flattery, but rather they are speaking actual facts.
(Q.4) What is the significance and meaning of the term ‘purāṇāni’?
Ans) This is the plural of the term purāṇam (Purāṇa). It is placed in this verse to indicate that Sūta Gosvāmī had understood as well as explained all the various purāṇas. Śrī Vaṁśīdhara says — purāṇāni mātsyādīni — Purāṇas means Matsya-purāṇa etc.
Śrī Vallabhācārya says — purāṇāni ākara-sthāni — Purāṇas are sources of literature [related to the Lord]. He also says mūla-saṁhitā-catuṣṭayaṁ vā — or it can mean the original corpus of all Purāṇas (before Vyāsadeva expanded and revised its contents and structure). Śrī Puruśottama Gosvāmī adds a detail that the original corpus of all Purāṇas was divided into four sections viz. sāṅkhya, yoga, pāśupata and vaiṣṇava.
(Q.5) What is the significance and meaning of the term ‘setihāsāni’?
Ans) This term breaks down as sa-itihāsāni. Setihāsāni basically means — along with itihāsas, histories.
Etymologically, this term is formed using two sūtras — tena saheti tulyayoge (Aṣṭādhyāyī, 2.2.28) and sahasya saḥ saṁjñāyām (Aṣṭādhyāyī 6.3.78).
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Śrī Vallabhācārya and Gosvāmī Giridharalāla say that the term itihāsa (histories) here are Mahābhārata etc. Sūta Gosvāmī studied them along with the purāṇas. Śrī Vaṁśīdhara says that by ‘etc.’, Śrīdhara Svāmī has indicated Vālmīki-rāmāyaṇa etc.
(Q.6) What is the significance and meaning of the term ‘cānagha’?
Ans) This term breaks down as ca + anagha.
ca is a particle term, technically known as a nipāta. This term is basically used to denote a group. So when the verse says that Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī studied the purāṇas along with itihāsas and dharma-śāstras, the term — ‘and’ makes it a group. This ‘and’ is denoted using the term ca here.
Śrī Vijaya-dhvaja-tīrtha, Śrī Yadupati Ācārya says that the term ca indicates that he studied and explained the Upa-purāṇas too. Śrī Vallabhācārya says that ca indicates that he studied and explained songs and local narrations related to the Lord too.
Anagha is a name used by the sages for Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī. Agha means ‘sin’ and an-agha means ‘sinless’. Anagha here is used as an invocation (O Anagha!).
Śrī Vaṁśīdhara says that the brāhmaṇas in the audience headed by Śrī Śaunaka were thinking that — “He may be worried that he is a low-born because we call him by the name of a low caste i.e. Sūta. However, his birth is not from a low caste. His birth is from an opposite mixture of offerings in a sacrificial fire. So that he may not consider himself unfit for instructing us brāhmaṇas, let us remind him that he is of a sinless birth.” Thinking in this way, the sages address him as anagha (sinless).
[Translator’s Note: For the entire detail about how Sūta Gosvāmī was born from offering a reversed oblation in a sacrificial fire, please see the blog post on the previous verse by clicking here.]
Śrī Vīrarāghavācārya says that anagha means — free from the fruitive activities and sins resulting from a lack of knowledge of true scriptures, or it can mean — free from the fault resulting from the disrespect of being addressed as a low caste.
Śrī Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha also says that anagha means — free from all fruitive tendencies.
Śrī Vallabhācārya says that anagha means — he is sinless because he does not make a living out of his knowledge.
Gosvāmī Giridharalāla says that by saying anagha, the sages are saying that — “in you there is no fault of being born in a low caste.”
(Q.7) What is the significance and meaning of the phrase ‘ākhyātāny apy adhītāni’?
Ans) This phrase means — ‘have been explained (ākhyātāni) as well as (api) studied (adhītāni)’. Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī says — na kevalam adhītāny api tv ākhyātāny vyākhyātāni ca — not only have these scriptures been studied by you, but also have been explained.
Śrī Vaṁśīdhara elaborates on the term adhītāni (studied) by saying that all these scriptures should be studied from the mouth of a guru (and not merely from a book).
Śrī Vallabhācārya says — pūrvam adhītya vyākhyāya punaḥ punar adhītāni ity arthaḥ. tadaiva niḥsandehaḥ — he first studied it, then explained it and then studied it again and again. Thus he was free of doubts.
Śrī Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha says that adhītāni means that he studied all this literature like the Vedas (i.e. from the mouth of a guru). The correct sequence is that he studied them first and then explained them. This is the opinion of Śrī Yadupati Ācārya too.
(Q.8) What is the significance and meaning of the phrase ‘dharma-śāstrāṇi yāny uta’?
Ans) This phrase means — ‘as well as (uta) whatever (yāni) scriptures there are related to dharma (dharma-śāstrāṇi).
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī and some other commentators say that uta has the same meaning as api (i.e. whatever).
Śrī Vaṁśīdhara says that dharma-śāstras means the smṛtis written by Manu, Yājñavālkya etc. He quotes a passage from a literature named Saṅgrahaḥ as follows:
manv ādyāḥ smṛtayo dharma-śāstram ity abhidhīyate
Translation: Dharma-śāstras are smṛtis written by Manu etc.
Śrī Vīrarāghavācārya, Śrī Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha also are of the same opinion.
Śrī Vallabhācārya quotes a verse which says that:
dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣākhyās catvāro ’rthā manīṣiṇām
jīveśvara-vicāreṇa dvidhā te hi nirūpitāḥ
Translation: The four goals of human life are dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa. These four goals are described in two ways — (a) by the Supreme Lord himself (b) by other living entities.
He continues to say that when the Supreme Lord describes these goals, he does it through the four Vedas. When other living entities describe these goals, different authors are seen composing different literature e.g. the various smṛtis are written for the purpose of attaining dharma, the attainment of artha has been given in the various nīti-śāstras, the attainment of kāma has been given in the various kāma-śāstras written by Vātsyāyana etc. and the attainment of mokṣa has been given in the various literature related to Sāṅkhya written by their respective authors. Śrī Vallabhācārya says that unless one knows all these, one cannot understand scriptures related to the Supreme Lord properly. To say that Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī knew all these, the sages said — dharma-śāstrāṇi yāny uta. Here, yāny uta has been interpreted by Śrī Vallabhācārya as — “along with other scriptures viz. Artha-śāstra etc. or along with other scriptures of this world”.
(ṛṣaya ūcuḥ): the sages said,
(anagha): “O sinless one!
(khalu): certainly (or factually)
(purāṇāni): the purāṇas
(setihāsāni): along with itihāsas (historical narrations)
(ca uta yāni): and as well as all available
(dharma-śāstrāṇi): dharma-śāstras (Vedic literature dealing with codes of religion)
(adhītāni): have been studied
(api): as well as
(ākhyātāni): have been explained (to others)
(tvayā): by you.”
(Q.1) What is the significance and meaning of the phrase ‘ṛṣaya ūcuḥ’?
Ans) This phrase breaks down as ṛṣayaḥ + ūcuḥ. When combining them together, the ‘ḥ’ at the end of ṛṣayaḥ is elided by the following grammar rules:
ṛṣayaḥ + ūcuḥ
= ṛṣayas + ūcuḥ (the visarga ḥ here is nothing but the consonant ‘s’ from the suffix ‘jas’)
= ṛṣaya + ru + ūcuḥ (the ‘s’ at the end changes to ‘ru’ by the rule sa-sajuṣo ṛuḥ - Aṣṭādhyāyī 8.2.66)
= ṛṣaya + r + ūcuḥ (the ‘u’ of ‘ru’ is elided by the rule upadeśe ’janunāsika it – Aṣṭādhyāyī 1.3.2)
= ṛṣaya + y + ūcuḥ (the ‘r’ changes to ‘y’ by the rule bho-bhago-agho-apūrvasya yo ’śi – Aṣṭādhyāyī 8.3.17)
= ṛṣaya + ūcuḥ (the ‘y’ gets optional elision by the rule lopaḥ śākalyasya – Aṣṭādhyāyī 8.3.19)
The term ṛṣayaḥ is plural of the term ṛṣiḥ. Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī says in his commentary to Śrīmad-bhāgavatam (10.87.35) — ṛṣayaḥ sarva-śāstrārtha-tattvajñāḥ — ṛṣis are those who are aware of the conclusive meanings of all the scriptures. The vyākhyā-sudhā of Rāmāśramī on the Amara-koṣaḥ says — ṛṣanti jānanti — they who know things correctly are known as ṛṣis. This term ṛṣi is etymologically derived from the verbal root √ṛṣ (gatau). The suffix ‘in’ is added to this root using the Uṇādi-sūtra (4.120) ig-upadhāt kit. This gives us ṛṣ + in from where we get ṛṣiḥ.
The term ūcuḥ is the third person plural perfect past verbal form of the root √vac (paribhāṣaṇe).
(Q.2) What is the significance and meaning of the term ‘tvayā’?
Ans) This term is the instrumental singular case of the pronoun yuṣmad. It means — ‘by you’. No other comments by any ācārya.
(Q.3) What is the significance and meaning of the term ‘khalu’?
Ans) The Amara-koṣaḥ (3.4.255) says that the term khalu is used in the following contexts:
(a) niṣedha (restriction) — e.g. khalu kṛtvā — this is not to be done.
(b) vākyālaṅkāra (to add style to a sentence by emphasizing something) — e.g. etat khalu āhuḥ — this was what was actually said (the term khalu, ‘actually’ should be spoken with emphasis here).
(c) jijñāsā (inquiry) — e.g. na khalu kāryam ¬— should this not be done?
(d) anunaya (persuasion) — e.g. na khalu na khalu kurv idam — please don’t, please don’t do this.
Besides this, other lexicons specify some other contexts too. Srila Prabhupada in the synonyms translates this term as ‘undoubtedly’.
Śrī Vallabhācārya says — khalu iti stuti-vyāvṛttiḥ —the term 'khalu' is used to indicate that this is not merely flattery. Gosvāmī Giridharalāla adds detail to this by saying — khalu-śabdo niścayārthaḥ. tena na kevalaṁ stuti-mātraṁ kurmaḥ kintu niścitam eva vadāma iti sūcayanti — the term khalu is used to specify certainty and by this term, the sages want to say that they are not merely engaging in flattery, but rather they are speaking actual facts.
(Q.4) What is the significance and meaning of the term ‘purāṇāni’?
Ans) This is the plural of the term purāṇam (Purāṇa). It is placed in this verse to indicate that Sūta Gosvāmī had understood as well as explained all the various purāṇas. Śrī Vaṁśīdhara says — purāṇāni mātsyādīni — Purāṇas means Matsya-purāṇa etc.
Śrī Vallabhācārya says — purāṇāni ākara-sthāni — Purāṇas are sources of literature [related to the Lord]. He also says mūla-saṁhitā-catuṣṭayaṁ vā — or it can mean the original corpus of all Purāṇas (before Vyāsadeva expanded and revised its contents and structure). Śrī Puruśottama Gosvāmī adds a detail that the original corpus of all Purāṇas was divided into four sections viz. sāṅkhya, yoga, pāśupata and vaiṣṇava.
(Q.5) What is the significance and meaning of the term ‘setihāsāni’?
Ans) This term breaks down as sa-itihāsāni. Setihāsāni basically means — along with itihāsas, histories.
Etymologically, this term is formed using two sūtras — tena saheti tulyayoge (Aṣṭādhyāyī, 2.2.28) and sahasya saḥ saṁjñāyām (Aṣṭādhyāyī 6.3.78).
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Śrī Vallabhācārya and Gosvāmī Giridharalāla say that the term itihāsa (histories) here are Mahābhārata etc. Sūta Gosvāmī studied them along with the purāṇas. Śrī Vaṁśīdhara says that by ‘etc.’, Śrīdhara Svāmī has indicated Vālmīki-rāmāyaṇa etc.
(Q.6) What is the significance and meaning of the term ‘cānagha’?
Ans) This term breaks down as ca + anagha.
ca is a particle term, technically known as a nipāta. This term is basically used to denote a group. So when the verse says that Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī studied the purāṇas along with itihāsas and dharma-śāstras, the term — ‘and’ makes it a group. This ‘and’ is denoted using the term ca here.
Śrī Vijaya-dhvaja-tīrtha, Śrī Yadupati Ācārya says that the term ca indicates that he studied and explained the Upa-purāṇas too. Śrī Vallabhācārya says that ca indicates that he studied and explained songs and local narrations related to the Lord too.
Anagha is a name used by the sages for Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī. Agha means ‘sin’ and an-agha means ‘sinless’. Anagha here is used as an invocation (O Anagha!).
Śrī Vaṁśīdhara says that the brāhmaṇas in the audience headed by Śrī Śaunaka were thinking that — “He may be worried that he is a low-born because we call him by the name of a low caste i.e. Sūta. However, his birth is not from a low caste. His birth is from an opposite mixture of offerings in a sacrificial fire. So that he may not consider himself unfit for instructing us brāhmaṇas, let us remind him that he is of a sinless birth.” Thinking in this way, the sages address him as anagha (sinless).
[Translator’s Note: For the entire detail about how Sūta Gosvāmī was born from offering a reversed oblation in a sacrificial fire, please see the blog post on the previous verse by clicking here.]
Śrī Vīrarāghavācārya says that anagha means — free from the fruitive activities and sins resulting from a lack of knowledge of true scriptures, or it can mean — free from the fault resulting from the disrespect of being addressed as a low caste.
Śrī Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha also says that anagha means — free from all fruitive tendencies.
Śrī Vallabhācārya says that anagha means — he is sinless because he does not make a living out of his knowledge.
Gosvāmī Giridharalāla says that by saying anagha, the sages are saying that — “in you there is no fault of being born in a low caste.”
(Q.7) What is the significance and meaning of the phrase ‘ākhyātāny apy adhītāni’?
Ans) This phrase means — ‘have been explained (ākhyātāni) as well as (api) studied (adhītāni)’. Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī says — na kevalam adhītāny api tv ākhyātāny vyākhyātāni ca — not only have these scriptures been studied by you, but also have been explained.
Śrī Vaṁśīdhara elaborates on the term adhītāni (studied) by saying that all these scriptures should be studied from the mouth of a guru (and not merely from a book).
Śrī Vallabhācārya says — pūrvam adhītya vyākhyāya punaḥ punar adhītāni ity arthaḥ. tadaiva niḥsandehaḥ — he first studied it, then explained it and then studied it again and again. Thus he was free of doubts.
Śrī Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha says that adhītāni means that he studied all this literature like the Vedas (i.e. from the mouth of a guru). The correct sequence is that he studied them first and then explained them. This is the opinion of Śrī Yadupati Ācārya too.
(Q.8) What is the significance and meaning of the phrase ‘dharma-śāstrāṇi yāny uta’?
Ans) This phrase means — ‘as well as (uta) whatever (yāni) scriptures there are related to dharma (dharma-śāstrāṇi).
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī and some other commentators say that uta has the same meaning as api (i.e. whatever).
Śrī Vaṁśīdhara says that dharma-śāstras means the smṛtis written by Manu, Yājñavālkya etc. He quotes a passage from a literature named Saṅgrahaḥ as follows:
manv ādyāḥ smṛtayo dharma-śāstram ity abhidhīyate
Translation: Dharma-śāstras are smṛtis written by Manu etc.
Śrī Vīrarāghavācārya, Śrī Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha also are of the same opinion.
Śrī Vallabhācārya quotes a verse which says that:
dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣākhyās catvāro ’rthā manīṣiṇām
jīveśvara-vicāreṇa dvidhā te hi nirūpitāḥ
Translation: The four goals of human life are dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa. These four goals are described in two ways — (a) by the Supreme Lord himself (b) by other living entities.
He continues to say that when the Supreme Lord describes these goals, he does it through the four Vedas. When other living entities describe these goals, different authors are seen composing different literature e.g. the various smṛtis are written for the purpose of attaining dharma, the attainment of artha has been given in the various nīti-śāstras, the attainment of kāma has been given in the various kāma-śāstras written by Vātsyāyana etc. and the attainment of mokṣa has been given in the various literature related to Sāṅkhya written by their respective authors. Śrī Vallabhācārya says that unless one knows all these, one cannot understand scriptures related to the Supreme Lord properly. To say that Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī knew all these, the sages said — dharma-śāstrāṇi yāny uta. Here, yāny uta has been interpreted by Śrī Vallabhācārya as — “along with other scriptures viz. Artha-śāstra etc. or along with other scriptures of this world”.
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