Shloka 4

Jaradkāru Encounters the Pitṛs

Jaratkāru-Pitṛdarśana

Devanagari script

शुंग्युवाच किं मे पित्रा कृतं तस्य राज्ञोअनिष्टं दुरात्मन: । ब्रूहि तत्‌ कृश तत्त्वेन पश्य मे तपसो बलम्‌,शृंगी बोला--कृश! ठीक-ठीक बताओ. मेरे पिताने उस दुरात्मा राजाका क्या अपराध किया था? फिर मेरी तपस्याका बल देखना

Transliteration

Śṛṅgy uvāca: kiṁ me pitrā kṛtaṁ tasya rājño 'niṣṭaṁ durātmanaḥ? brūhi tat, Kṛśa, tattvena; paśya me tapaso balam.

Translation

Śṛṅgī sagte: „Kṛśa, sag mir genau die Wahrheit. Was hat mein Vater jenem niederträchtigen König getan—welches Vergehen hat ihn missfallen lassen? Sprich wahr. Dann sollst du die Macht meiner Askese sehen.“

Word by Word

• शृङ्गी: Śṛṅgī (the sage)
• शृङ्गी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मे: of me / my
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• पित्रा: by (my) father
• पित्रा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• कृतम्: done
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• तस्य: of him / of that
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• राज्ञः: of the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अनिष्टम्: harm / displeasing act
• अनिष्टम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दुरात्मनः: of the wicked-souled (one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कृश: O lean one (ascetic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तत्त्वेन: in truth / truly
• तत्त्वेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• पश्य: see / behold
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मे: my
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• तपसः: of austerity / penance
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• बलम्: power
• बलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

कृश उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śṛṅgī
• Kṛśa
• the king (unnamed here)
• Śṛṅgī's father (unnamed here)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical causality: wrongdoing—especially by a ruler—invites consequences, and truth must be stated plainly. It also shows how ascetic power (tapas) can become morally dangerous when driven by anger rather than discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śṛṅgī questions Kṛśa about what offense his father committed against a wicked king. He demands an accurate account and declares that the king will soon see the force of his austerities—foreshadowing a punitive act (a curse) arising from perceived injustice.