तपोमयं तपोराशिं तपोमूर्तिं तपात्मकम्। तपसा त्वां सुतप्तेन पश्यामि पुरुषोत्तमम्।।1.29.12।।
Meaning
You are made of austerity, the aggregate of austerity, the very form and soul of austerity; through my own well-performed austerity, I behold you, Supreme Person.
Word-by-word (pada-artha)
| Word | Devanagari | Meaning | Grammatical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| tapaḥ-mayam tapaḥ-rāśim | तपः-मयम् तपः-राशिम् | consisting of austerity, a mass of austerity | Accusative singular |
| tapaḥ-mūrtim tapaḥ-ātmakam | तपः-मूर्तिम् तपः-आत्मकम् | the embodiment of austerity, of the nature of austerity | Accusative singular |
| tapasā tvām su-taptena | तपसा त्वाम् सु-तप्तेन | by intense austerity, you | Instrumental / Accusative |
| paśyāmi puruṣa-uttamam | पश्यामि पुरुष-उत्तमम् | I see, the supreme person | Verb (present) / Accusative |
Scholar commentary
valmikiramayan.net Prose Commentary
Desiraju Hanumanta Rao's prose rendering with embedded explanatory notes
The source glosses 'tapaH' here as carrying a second meaning beyond bare austerity: it can also mean gnosis, knowledge, intellect, or spirit. Read this way, Kashyapa's praise becomes 'you are abounding with intellect, the aggregate of intellect, the very aspect of intellect' rather than only 'abounding with austerity.'
1 of 16 traditions have commentary on this shloka. Traditions without a verse-specific commentary here are omitted rather than filled in.
Reference: 1.29.12 · Bāla Kāṇḍa