Shloka 32
Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
Devanagari script
एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं पिण्डेषु त्रिषु या गति:
Transliteration
etad icchāmy ahaṃ śrotuṃ piṇḍeṣu triṣu yā gatiḥ
Translation
„Dies möchte ich hören: Welches Geschick widerfährt einem in den drei Arten von piṇḍa (verkörperten Zuständen)?“
Word by Word
एतत्this (matter)
एतत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
इच्छामिI wish/desire
इच्छामि:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootइष् (इच्छ्)
FormPresent (Lat), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada
अहम्I
अहम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootअहम्
FormCommon, Nominative, Singular
श्रोतुम्to hear
श्रोतुम्:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु
FormTumun (infinitive)
पिण्डेषुin/among the piṇḍas (funeral offerings/bodies)
पिण्डेषु:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootपिण्ड
FormMasculine, Locative, Plural
त्रिषुin three
त्रिषु:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective (numeral)
Rootत्रि
FormMasculine, Locative, Plural
याwhich
या:
Karta
TypePronoun (relative)
Rootयद्
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
गतिःcourse/destination/state
गतिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootगति
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
देवदूत उवाच
Characters & Entities
द
देवदूत (divine messenger)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic inquiry: outcomes (gati) are not random but are to be understood in relation to embodied states (piṇḍa) and the moral law of karma; it invites a structured explanation of how conduct shapes one’s destiny.
A divine messenger speaks and asks to be instructed: he wants to hear an account of the ‘gati’—the resulting fate or course—associated with the three piṇḍas, setting up a doctrinal explanation that follows.