Mahabharata 1.158.34 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 158, Shloka 34

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 158 — Aṅgāraparṇa-saṃvāda and Gaṅgā-tīrtha Saṃghaṭṭa

Encounter at the Gaṅgā ford

Devanagari script

जाततपुत्रा च वृद्धा च प्रियकामा च ते सदा । समीक्ष्यैतदहं सर्व व्यवसायं करोम्यतः

Transliteration

jātaputrā ca vṛddhā ca priyakāmā ca te sadā | samīkṣyaitad ahaṃ sarvaṃ vyavasāyaṃ karomy ataḥ ||

Translation

Die Brahmanin sprach: „Ich habe einen Sohn geboren und bin auch alt geworden; und all die Zeit wünschte ich, das zu tun, was dir lieb ist. Nachdem ich dies alles erwogen habe, fasse ich nun meinen letzten Entschluss — darum wähle ich den Tod.“

Word by Word

• जाततपुत्रा: one who has borne a son
• जाततपुत्रा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात (√जन्) + पुत्र
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वृद्धा: old, aged
• वृद्धा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्रियकामा: desirous of (your) pleasure; wishing to please
• प्रियकामा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय + काम
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ते: of you; your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• समीक्ष्य: having considered, having reflected on
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√ईक्ष्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• सर्वम्: entire, all
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• व्यवसायम्: resolve, determination, decision
• व्यवसायम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यवसाय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• करोमि: I make; I undertake
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ
• Form: Present (Lat), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अतः: therefore; hence
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (speaker: Brahmin woman)
• पुत्र (son)
• ते (an addressed person, unnamed in this verse)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of deliberate choice (vyavasāya): life decisions should be made after sober reflection on one’s stage of life, responsibilities, and intentions toward others. It also raises the tension between personal resolve and the dharmic evaluation of self-chosen death.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin woman speaks to an addressed person (not named in this line). She states that she has already borne a son, has become old, and has long sought to please the addressee; after considering these facts, she declares a firm decision to die.