ज्ञानवृद्धांस्तपोवृद्धान् विद्यावृद्धानहं द्विजान् । पृच्छामि तावन्मरणं कथं न स्यान्नृणामिति ॥ २२ ॥
jñānavṛddhāṁstapōvṛddhān vidyāvṛddhānahaṁ dvijān | pṛcchāmi tāvanmaraṇaṁ kathaṁ na syānnṛṇāmiti || 22 ||
Translation
First I shall ask the brahmins grown old in knowledge, old in austerity, old in learning, how there might be no death for men."
Word by word
- jñāna
- in knowledge
- vṛddhāṁs
- (vṛddhān) grown old
- tapō
- (tapaḥ) in austerity
- vṛddhān
- old
- vidyā
- in learning
- ahaṁ
- I
- dvijān
- the brahmins
- pṛcchāmi
- shall ask
- tāvan
- (tāvat) first
- maraṇaṁ
- death
- kathaṁ
- how
- na
- no
- syān
- (syāt) there might be
- nṛṇām
- for men
- iti
- thus
Meaning
The commentary: "I shall ask brahmins mature in knowledge, austerity and learning how men may escape death", she thought, and she summoned the wise elders. The three kinds of elders, in knowledge, austerity and learning, are the highest authorities a queen could consult.