Shloka 22

Adhyaya 4 — Jaimini Meets the Dharmapakshis: Four Doubts on the Mahabharata and the Opening of Narayana Doctrine

Sanskrit

जैमिनिरुवाच

श्रूयतां द्विजशार्दूलाः कारणं येन कन्दरम् ।

विन्ध्यस्येहागतो रम्यं रेवाद्वारिकणोक्षितम् ।

सन्देहान् भारते शास्त्रे तान् प्रष्टुं गतवानहम् ॥

Transliteration

jaiminir uvāca

śrūyatāṃ dvijaśārdūlāḥ kāraṇaṃ yena kandaram |

vindhyasyehāgato ramyaṃ revādvārikaṇokṣitam |

sandehān bhārate śāstre tān praṣṭuṃ gatavān aham ||

Translation

জৈমিনি বললেন—হে দ্বিজশ্রেষ্ঠগণ, শুনুন আমি কেন এখানে এসেছি—রেবার দ্বারদেশে জলে সিঞ্চিত, মনোহর বিন্ধ্যগুহায়। ভারতশাস্ত্র-সম্পর্কিত আমার সংশয়গুলি জিজ্ঞাসা করতেই আমি এসেছি।

Word by Word

• जैमिनिः: Jaimini
• जैमिनिः: Karta (कर्ता/वक्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जैमिनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nom), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्रूयताम्: let (it) be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (क्रिया/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे प्रयोग (impersonal: ‘let it be heard’)

• द्विज-शार्दूलाः: O tigers among the twice-born (O best Brahmins)
• द्विज-शार्दूलाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (द्विजाः शार्दूलाः इव/श्रेष्ठाः); पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative), बहुवचन

• कारणम्: the reason
• कारणम्: Karma (कर्म/वक्तव्य-विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• कन्दरम्: to the cave
• कन्दरम्: Karma (कर्म/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Acc), एकवचन

• विन्ध्यस्य: of the Vindhya (mountain)
• विन्ध्यस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विन्ध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/स्थान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• आगतः: (I) have come
• आगतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nom), एकवचन; (speaker as subject)

• रम्यम्: beautiful, delightful
• रम्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Acc), एकवचन; कन्दरम् इति विशेषण

• रेवा-वारि-कण-उक्षितम्: sprinkled with drops of the Revā’s water
• रेवा-वारि-कण-उक्षितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक) + वारि (प्रातिपदिक) + कण (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्षित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (रेवायाः वारिणः कणैः उक्षितम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Acc), एकवचन; कन्दरम् इति विशेषण

• सन्देहान्: doubts, questions
• सन्देहान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Acc), बहुवचन

• भारते: in the Bhārata (Mahābhārata)
• भारते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/विषय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; शास्त्रे इति विशेषण

• शास्त्रे: in the treatise/text
• शास्त्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (कर्म/अन्वय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Acc), बहुवचन; सन्देहान् इति विशेष्य-निर्देश

• प्रष्टुम्: to ask
• प्रष्टुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-श्ना/पृच्छ् (धातु) → प्रष्टुम् (तुमुन्)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive); प्रयोजन (purpose)

• गतवान्: have gone
• गतवान्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गतवत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (perfect participle, active); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nom), एकवचन; (with अहम्)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/Nom), एकवचन

Speakers

• Jaimini (addressing assembled Brahmin sages; within the broader Mārkaṇḍeya–Jaimini frame)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Frame narrative
• Questioning tradition (praśna–uttara)
• Sacred geography (Vindhya, Revā/Narmadā)
• Hermitage/cave as a locus of teaching

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse foregrounds the dhārmic method of inquiry: doubts about śāstra are not suppressed but brought respectfully to learned authorities in a suitable setting. The seeker (Jaimini) states his purpose transparently—knowledge is pursued through listening (śravaṇa) and questioning (praśna).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse functions primarily as a narrative frame (upodghāta) rather than directly presenting sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita. It introduces the context in which later material may touch those pañcalakṣaṇa topics, but here it is chiefly dialogue-setting and tīrtha/geographical anchoring.

What is the esoteric significance?

Vindhya’s cave and the Revā’s ‘gateway waters’ symbolize inward turning and purification before receiving teaching: the cave suggests withdrawal from distraction (antar-mukhatā), while water-sprinkling evokes saṃskāra-like cleansing—preparing the mind to resolve sandeha and receive authoritative meaning.