Nārada Bhakti Sūtras / The glory of the chief love (महिमा) / 69
69
the Nārada Bhakti Sūtras (नारद भक्ति सूत्रस्)
तीर्थी कुर्वन्ति तीर्थानि सुकर्मी कुर्वन्ति कर्माणि सच्छास्त्री कुर्वन्ति शास्त्राणि tīrthī kurvanti tīrthāni sukarmī kurvanti karmāṇi sacchāstrī kurvanti śāstrāṇi
The line
They make the fords into fords, the deeds into good deeds, and the teachings into true teachings.
नेपालीमा
उनीहरू तीर्थलाई तीर्थ बनाउँछन्, कर्मलाई सुकर्म बनाउँछन्, शास्त्रलाई सच्चा शास्त्र बनाउँछन्।
Where it sits
Their effect on places, acts, and texts. Still the glory of the chief love.
Split: tīrthī (तीर्थी) + kurvanti (कुर्वन्ति) + tīrthāni (तीर्थानि) + sukarmī (सुकर्मी) + kurvanti (कुर्वन्ति) + karmāṇi (कर्माणि) + sacchāstrī (सच्छास्त्री) + kurvanti (कुर्वन्ति) + śāstrāṇi (शास्त्राणि)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| tīrthī (तीर्थी) | indeclinable | into a holy ford. Cvi form of tīrtha (तीर्थ). |
| kurvanti (कुर्वन्ति) | present third person plural | they make. From kṛ (कृ). Subject is the devotees. |
| tīrthāni (तीर्थानि) | accusative plural, neuter | the holy fords. Object of the first kurvanti (कुर्वन्ति). |
| sukarmī (सुकर्मी) | indeclinable | into a good deed. Cvi form of sukarman (सुकर्मन्). |
| kurvanti (कुर्वन्ति) | present third person plural | they make. |
| karmāṇi (कर्माणि) | accusative plural, neuter | deeds. |
| sacchāstrī (सच्छास्त्री) | indeclinable | into a true teaching. sat (सत्) plus śāstra (शास्त्र), cvi. t (त्) before ś (श्) is cch (च्छ्). |
| kurvanti (कुर्वन्ति) | present third person plural | they make. |
| śāstrāṇi (शास्त्राणि) | accusative plural, neuter | the teachings. |
The phrases
Three parallel clauses. Each cvi names what the object is made into, and kurvanti (कुर्वन्ति) is repeated. The subject is still the one pointed devotees.
Sanskrit in this line
Each cvi stands before kurvanti (कुर्वन्ति). sat (सत्) plus śāstra (शास्त्र) is recited sacchāstrī (सच्छास्त्री).
Say it back
What three things do they make true of their kind?