Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.14.35
ऋषिभि: स्वाश्रमपदं गते पुत्रकलेवरम् ।
सुनीथा पालयामास विद्यायोगेन शोचती ॥ ३५ ॥
ṛṣibhiḥ svāśrama-padaṁ
[rishibhih svaashrama-padam]
gate putra-kalevaram
[gate putra-kalevaram]
sunīthā pālayām āsa
[suneethaa paalayaam aasa]
vidyā-yogena śocatī
[vidyaa-yogena shochatee]
Word-for-word
ṛṣibhiḥ
—
by the sages
sva-āśrama-padam
—
to their own respective hermitages
gate
—
having returned
putra
—
of her son
kalevaram
—
the body
sunīthā
—
Sunīthā, the mother of King Vena
pālayām āsa
—
preserved
vidyā-yogena
—
by mantra and ingredients
śocatī
—
while lamenting.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ṛṣibhiḥ svāśrama-padaṁ
ṛṣibhiḥ
by the sages
sva-āśrama-padam
to their own respective hermitages
gate putra-kalevaram
gate
having returned
putra
of her son
kalevaram
the body
sunīthā pālayām āsa
sunīthā
Sunīthā, the mother of King Vena
pālayām āsa
preserved
vidyā-yogena śocatī
vidyā-yogena
by mantra and ingredients
śocatī
while lamenting.
After all the sages returned to their respective hermitages, the mother of King Vena, Sunīthā, became very much aggrieved because of her son’s death. She decided to preserve the dead body of her son by the application of certain ingredients and by chanting mantras [mantra-yogena].
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
When the sages returned to their homes, lamenting Sunīthā preserved the body of her son by use of mantras.
Vidyā-yogena means “by placing it in oil with use of mantras.”
Personal Guidance
Sunīthā, grieving, preserved her son's body with mantras and ingredients. Mothers will preserve even what should not be preserved; grief drives strange and futile rituals.
Reflection Questions
- What 'body' am I preserving with rituals that I would do better to release?
- Where is grief running my decisions in ways I haven't acknowledged?
My note
Source: vedabase.io