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1. Introduction

Chapter 5 of the NCERT Class 10 Sanskrit textbook "शेमुषी" (Shemushi) is called जननी तुल्यवत्सला, which means "A mother who is equally affectionate to all her children". The title is made of जननी (mother), तुल्य (equal), and वत्सला (affectionate toward one's offspring). It is actually the closing phrase of a verse in the chapter: "अपत्येषु च सर्वेषु जननी तुल्यवत्सला" — "A mother is equally affectionate toward all her children." The chapter is a moving story (कथा). It tells of the cow सुरभिः (Surabhi), the mother of all cows, who weeps to see her weak son, an ox, being cruelly beaten by a farmer while ploughing the field. When the king of gods, इन्द्रः, asks her why she cries, Surabhi explains that her love for all her children is equal, but her compassion is greatest for the child who is in distress. Touched by her motherly love, Indra sends heavy rain to relieve the farmer's toil and the ox's suffering. The story teaches the purest form of motherly love (वात्सल्यम्) and compassion (कृपा). This note explains the story in English, gives word meanings and grammar, and provides revision tables, a mind map, SVG diagrams, common mistakes and exam tips.

2. Meaning and Explanation of the Story

Part 1 — The Farmer and His Two Oxen

A certain farmer (कश्चित् कृषकः) was ploughing his field (क्षेत्रकर्षणम्) with two oxen (बलीवर्दौ). Of these two oxen, one was weak in body (शरीरेण दुर्बलः) and was not able to walk swiftly (जवेन गन्तुमशक्तः). Because of this, the farmer kept goading the weak ox with his pricking goad (तोदनेन नुद्यमानः). The poor ox, unable to drag the plough (हलम्) forward, fell down in the field (क्षेत्रे पपात). The angry farmer (क्रुद्धः कृषीवलः) tried again and again to make him get up, but the ox did not rise (नोत्थितः).

Part 2 — The Tears of Mother Surabhi

When the ox fell to the ground, his mother सुरभिः, the mother of all cows (सर्वधेनूनां माता), saw her son fallen and helpless. Tears appeared in her eyes (नेत्राभ्यामश्रूणि आविरासन्). Seeing her condition, the lord of the gods सुराधिपः इन्द्रः asked her with surprise: "अयि शुभे! किमेवं रोदिषि? उच्यताम्" — "O blessed one! Why do you weep like this? Please tell me." Surabhi replied, "भो वासव! पुत्रस्य दैन्यं दृष्ट्वा अहं रोदिमि" — "O Vasava! I weep seeing the misery of my son."

Part 3 — Surabhi's Explanation to Indra

Surabhi explained further: "Knowing that my son is weak (दीनः), the farmer still torments him in many ways (बहुधा पीडयति). He carries the burden with great difficulty (कृच्छ्रेण भारमुद्वहति). He is unable to bear the yoke (धुरम्) like the other ox. O lord, do you not see this?" Indra was puzzled. He asked, "O gentle one! When you have more than a thousand sons (सहस्राधिकेषु पुत्रेषु सत्स्वपि), why do you have such special love (वात्सल्यम्) for this one alone?"

Part 4 — Surabhi's Noble Reply

Surabhi answered with a beautiful verse:

यदि पुत्रसहस्रं मे, सर्वत्र सममेव मे। दीनस्य तु सतः शक्र! पुत्रस्याभ्यधिका कृपा॥

Meaning: "Even if I had a thousand sons, my love for all of them is equal (समम्). But O Shakra! Toward a son who is in distress (दीनः), my compassion (कृपा) is even greater (अभ्यधिका)."

She also said the second verse:

अपत्येषु च सर्वेषु जननी तुल्यवत्सला। पुत्रे दीने तु सा माता कृपार्द्रहृदया भवेत्॥

Meaning: "A mother is equally affectionate (तुल्यवत्सला) toward all her children. But toward a distressed son, that mother becomes tender-hearted with compassion (कृपार्द्रहृदया)."

Part 5 — Indra's Kindness

Hearing these words of Surabhi, even the heart of the astonished (विस्मितः) Indra (आखण्डलः) melted (हृदयमद्रवत्). To remove the suffering of the weak ox, Indra at once caused a heavy rain (प्रवर्षः) to fall, together with fierce wind and thunder (चण्डवातेन मेघरवैश्च सह). Because of the rain, the farmer had to stop ploughing, and the weary ox got rest. Thus the mother's compassion brought relief to her suffering child.

Word Meanings (शब्दार्थाः)

Sanskrit Word English Meaning
जननी mother
तुल्यवत्सला equally affectionate to her children
कृषकः / कृषीवलः farmer, ploughman
बलीवर्दः ox, ploughing bull
वृषभः bull
क्षेत्रम् field
क्षेत्रकर्षणम् ploughing of the field
हलम् plough
दुर्बलः weak
जवेन swiftly, with speed
तोदनम् goading, pricking
पपात fell down
क्रुद्धः angry
उत्थितः got up, rose
सुरभिः Surabhi, the mother of cows
धेनुः cow
नेत्रम् eye
अश्रूणि tears
सुराधिपः lord of the gods (Indra)
वासवः / शक्रः / आखण्डलः / कौशिकः names of Indra
दैन्यम् misery, distress
कृच्छ्रेण with difficulty
उद्वहति carries
धुरा yoke, burden
वात्सल्यम् motherly love, affection
कृपा compassion, mercy
अभ्यधिका greater, more abundant
अपत्यम् offspring, child
कृपार्द्रहृदया tender-hearted with compassion
विस्मितः astonished
प्रवर्षः heavy rain
चण्डवातः fierce wind
मेघरवः thunder
जलोपप्लवः flood of water

3. Grammar Highlights

Synonyms (पर्यायवाची): कृच्छ्रेण = काठिन्येन (with difficulty); चक्षुर्भ्याम् = नेत्राभ्याम् (with the eyes); जवेन = द्रुतगत्या (swiftly); इन्द्रः = वासवः = सुराधिपः = आखण्डलः = शक्रः = कौशिकः (Indra); पुत्राः = सुताः (sons); शीघ्रम् = अचिरम् (quickly); बलीवर्दः = वृषभः (ox); कृषीवलः = कृषकः = हलधरः (farmer); वृष्टिः = वर्षा = प्रवर्षः (rain); वातेन = वायुना = पवनेन (by wind).

Antonyms (विलोम): कृच्छ्रेण ↔ सरलतया (with difficulty / with ease); सबलः ↔ दुर्बलः (strong / weak); सुतः ↔ सुता (son / daughter); अचिरात् ↔ चिरात् (soon / after long); गतवान् ↔ आगतवान् (gone / come); दुःखी ↔ सुखी.

Sandhi (सन्धिः): Practise these joins and splits: - कुर्वन् + आसीत् = कुर्वन्नासीत् - तयोः + एकः = तयोरेकः - न + उत्थितः = नोत्थितः - सत्सु + अपि = सत्स्वपि - तथा + अपि + अहम् + एतस्मिन् = तथाप्यहमेतस्मिन् - बहूनि + अपत्यानि = बहून्यपत्यानि - जल + उपप्लवः = जलोपप्लवः

Pronouns (सर्वनाम): सा refers to Surabhi; अहम् refers to Surabhi when she speaks; सः refers to the ox in "सः दीनः"; मे (my) refers to Surabhi; सः refers to Indra in "सः च ताम् असान्त्वयत्"; तव (your) refers to Surabhi; भवान् (you, respectful) refers to Indra; ताम् refers to Surabhi. These pronoun-reference questions are very common.

Adjectives and their nouns (विशेषण-विशेष्य): कश्चित् कृषकः (a certain farmer), दुर्बलम् वृषभम् (weak ox), क्रुद्धः कृषीवलः (angry farmer), अभ्यधिका कृपा (greater compassion), तुल्यवत्सला जननी (a mother equally affectionate).

4. Message of the Story

जननी तुल्यवत्सला celebrates the purest human emotion — motherly love. A mother loves all her children equally, but her compassion is greatest for the child who is weak, helpless and suffering. The cow Surabhi shows this truth with her tears and her beautiful verse. The story also teaches compassion for all creatures — even animals feel pain and love. Indra's response shows that divine help comes to those who are kind-hearted. For students, the message is to respect parents, especially the love of a mother, and to show kindness to the weak and the helpless.

Quick Revision Tables

Table 1: Story Sequence

Step Event Key Words
1 A farmer ploughs with two oxen कृषकः, बलीवर्दौ
2 One ox is weak and falls दुर्बलः, पपात
3 The farmer is angry; the ox does not rise क्रुद्धः, नोत्थितः
4 Mother Surabhi weeps seeing her son अश्रूणि, दैन्यम्
5 Indra asks why she weeps सुराधिपः, रोदिषि
6 Surabhi says compassion is greater for a suffering son अभ्यधिका कृपा
7 Indra's heart melts and he sends heavy rain विस्मितः, प्रवर्षः

Table 2: Names of Indra in the Chapter

Name Meaning
सुराधिपः lord of the gods
वासवः son of Vasu
शक्रः the powerful one
आखण्डलः the thunderer
कौशिकः descendant of Kushika

Table 3: Key Word Meanings

Sanskrit English
जननी mother
कृपा compassion
वात्सल्यम् motherly love
कृच्छ्रेण with difficulty
अश्रूणि tears
प्रवर्षः heavy rain
दीनः distressed
सुरभिः mother of cows

Mind Map

graph TD A["जननी तुल्यवत्सला"] --> B["Farmer ploughs with two oxen"] A --> C["Weak ox falls in the field"] A --> D["Mother Surabhi weeps"] A --> E["Indra asks the reason"] A --> F["Surabhi's noble reply"] A --> G["Indra sends heavy rain"] B --> B1["एकः दुर्बलः - one is weak"] C --> C1["क्रुद्धः कृषीवलः - angry farmer"] D --> D1["नेत्राभ्याम् अश्रूणि - tears in eyes"] E --> E1["किमेवं रोदिषि? - why do you weep?"] F --> F1["दीनस्य पुत्रस्य अभ्यधिका कृपा - greater compassion for the distressed son"] G --> G1["चण्डवातेन मेघरवैः च - with wind and thunder"]

Important Diagrams (SVG)

Diagram 1: The Flow of the Story

Story of Surabhi Falling Weak ox falls in the field (पपात) Weeping Surabhi sees her son and tears come (अश्रूणि) Question Indra asks why she weeps (रोदिषि) Reply दीनस्य पुत्रस्य अभ्यधिका कृपा - greater compassion for the weak son Golden Rule: The order - falling, weeping, question, reply, rain - is the skeleton of the whole story; learn it step by step.

Diagram 2: The Message of Motherly Love

Motherly Love (वात्सल्यम्) Equal Love तुल्यवत्सला - loves all children equally Greater Compassion अभ्यधिका कृपा for the son in distress (दीने पुत्रे) Result - Divine Help Indra's heart melts and heavy rain saves the ox Golden Rule: A mother's love is equal for all, but deepest for the child in pain - this is the one-line essence of the chapter.

Common Mistakes

  1. Wrong meaning of the title: जननी तुल्यवत्सला does not mean "a cow named Tulyavatsala". It means a mother who is equally affectionate (तुल्यवत्सला) to all her children.
  2. Confusing the animals: The farmer uses बलीवर्दौ (two oxen) to plough; one of them, the weak one, is called वृषभः. Do not confuse the ox with a cow or a buffalo.
  3. Wrong speaker: In the dialogue, the mother is सुरभिः (a cow, the mother of all cows), and the questioner is इन्द्रः. Do not say the farmer asked the question.
  4. Wrong pronoun reference: सा refers to Surabhi, सः refers to the ox (or to Indra, depending on the sentence), तव refers to Surabhi, भवान् refers to Indra. Check each sentence carefully.
  5. Wrong sandhi splits: न + उत्थितः = नोत्थितः; सत्सु + अपि = सत्स्वपि; जल + उपप्लवः = जलोपप्लवः. Practise these exactly.
  6. Missing the verses: The two shlokas (यदि पुत्रसहस्रं... and अपत्येषु च सर्वेषु...) carry the whole message. Students often explain the story but forget to quote and translate these verses.
  7. Not mentioning the rain: The story ends with Indra sending heavy rain (प्रवर्षः) to help the ox. Include this in story-order answers.

Exam Tips

  1. Learn the two key verses by heart: यदि पुत्रसहस्रं मे सर्वत्र सममेव मे / दीनस्य तु सतः शक्र! पुत्रस्याभ्यधिका कृपा — and its English meaning. It is the heart of the chapter.
  2. Memorise the synonym sets: कृच्छ्रेण = काठिन्येन, जवेन = द्रुतगत्या, बलीवर्दः = वृषभः, इन्द्रः = वासवः = शक्रः, कृषीवलः = कृषकः.
  3. Practise the sandhi joins and splits: कुर्वन्नासीत्, तयोरेकः, नोत्थितः, सत्स्वपि, बहून्यपत्यानि, जलोपप्लवः.
  4. Prepare pronoun-reference answers: सा, अहम्, सः, मे, तव, भवान्, ताम् — know which character each refers to.
  5. Answer the value question well: Motherly love is equal for all children but greatest for the weak and suffering — give Surabhi's example and one example from daily life.
  6. Practise the matching columns (मेलनम्): Match adjectives with nouns (दुर्बलम् वृषभम्, क्रुद्धः कृषीवलः, तुल्यवत्सला जननी) and synonyms.

Conclusion

जननी तुल्यवत्सला is a touching story of a mother's love. When the weak ox falls in the field under the farmer's goading, his mother Surabhi weeps, and her tears move even the king of gods. When Indra questions her love for just one son among thousands, Surabhi replies with two beautiful verses — a mother loves all her children equally, but her compassion is greatest for the child in distress. Melted by her words, Indra sends heavy rain so that the farmer stops ploughing and the weary ox gets rest. The chapter teaches us the purest values of motherly love (वात्सल्यम्), compassion (कृपा), kindness to animals and respect for parents. Students who learn the story sequence, the two verses, the synonym and antonym sets, the sandhi examples and the pronoun references will score full marks in this chapter.