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Shloka 8

Ruru–Ḍuṇḍubha Saṃvāda: Śāpa, Mokṣa, and Ahiṃsā-Upadeśa

Chapter 11

मुहुरुष्णं विनि:श्वस्य सुसम्भ्रान्तस्तपोधन: । नानृतं वै मया प्रोक्त भवितेद॑ं कथंचन,तपोधन! मैं उसकी तपस्याका बल जानता था, अतः मेरा हृदय अत्यन्त उद्विग्न हो उठा और बड़े वेगसे उसके चरणोंमें प्रणाम करके, हाथ जोड़, सामने खड़ा हो, उस तपोधनसे बोला--सखे! मैंने परिहासके लिये सहसा यह कार्य कर डाला है। ब्रह्मन! इसके लिये क्षमा करो और अपना यह शाप लौटा लो। मुझे अत्यन्त घबराया हुआ देखकर सम्भ्रममें पड़े हुए उस तपस्वीने बार-बार गरम साँस खींचते हुए कहा--“मेरी कही हुई यह बात किसी प्रकार झूठी नहीं हो सकती”

muhur uṣṇaṁ viniḥśvasyā susambhrāntas tapodhanaḥ | nānṛtaṁ vai mayā proktaṁ bhavitedaṁ kathaṁcana ||

Immer wieder stieß der Asket, tief aufgewühlt, heiße Seufzer aus und erklärte: „Was ich gesprochen habe, ist gewiss nicht unwahr; es wird auf keine Weise anders ausgehen.“ Der Augenblick betont: Das Wort eines disziplinierten Asketen gilt als unwiderruflich—selbst wenn es durch einen Streich provoziert wurde, bleibt seine Folge bestehen.

मुहुःagain and again, repeatedly
मुहुः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमुहुस्
Formavyaya (adverb)
उष्णम्hotly, with heat (hot breath)
उष्णम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootउष्ण
Formneuter, accusative, singular (used adverbially)
विनिःश्वस्यhaving breathed out/sighed
विनिःश्वस्य:
TypeVerb
Rootनि-श्वस् (वि+निः)
Formabsolutive/gerund (क्त्वा-र्थे ल्यप्), indeclinable
सुसम्भ्रान्तःgreatly agitated, much confused
सुसम्भ्रान्तः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसुसम्भ्रान्त
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
तपोधनःthe ascetic (whose wealth is austerity)
तपोधनः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootतपोधन
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
Formavyaya (negation)
अनृतम्falsehood, untruth
अनृतम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअनृत
Formneuter, accusative, singular
वैindeed, surely
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै
Formavyaya (emphasis/indeed)
मयाby me
मया:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
Forminstrumental, singular
प्रोक्तम्spoken, uttered
प्रोक्तम्:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-वच्
Formpast passive participle (क्त), neuter, nominative/accusative, singular (agreeing with अनृतम्)
भविताwill be, will become
भविता:
TypeVerb
Rootभू
Formperiphrastic future, 3rd person, singular
इदम्this
इदम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
Formneuter, nominative, singular
कथंचनin any way, somehow (at all)
कथंचन:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथंचन
Formavyaya (adverb)

डुण्ड्रुभ उवाच

डुण्ड्रुभ (Dundubha)
तपोधन (an ascetic rich in austerity)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights the moral gravity of speech, especially from one established in tapas: words spoken with ascetic authority are treated as binding and cannot be made ‘unspoken.’ It reinforces accountability—careless acts and words can produce unavoidable outcomes.

In the aftermath of a prank and a plea for forgiveness, the ascetic—agitated and breathing hot sighs—states that his utterance cannot become false and will inevitably come to pass, indicating the inescapability of the pronounced consequence (such as a curse or declaration).