Shloka 35

Adhyaya 1 — Jaimini’s Questions on the Mahabharata and the Origin of the Wise Birds

Sanskrit

युष्माकमिह सर्वासां रूपौदार्यगुणाधिकम् ।

आत्मानं मन्यते या तु सा नृत्यतु ममाग्रतः ॥

Transliteration

yuṣmākam iha sarvāsāṃ rūpaudāryaguṇādhikam |

ātmānaṃ manyate yā tu sā nṛtyatu mamāgrataḥ ||

Translation

Unter euch allen hier soll diejenige, die sich an Schönheit, Großmut (Adel) und Tugenden für überlegen hält, vor mir tanzen.

Word by Word

• युष्माकम्: of you (plural)
• युष्माकम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (pronoun)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• सर्वासाम्: of all (fem.)
• सर्वासाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• रूपौदार्यगुणाधिकम्: superior in beauty, generosity, and virtues
• रूपौदार्यगुणाधिकम्: Karma (कर्म/Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप + औदार्य + गुण + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (रूपेण औदार्येण गुणैश्च अधिकम् = superior in beauty, generosity, and qualities)

• आत्मानम्: herself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मन्यते: thinks; considers
• मन्यते: Kriya (क्रिया/finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• या: she who
• या: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (demonstrative pronoun)

• नृत्यतु: let her dance
• नृत्यतु: Kriya (क्रिया/command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नृत् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मम: of me; my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (pronoun)

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (prepositional adverb), ‘in front (of)’

Speakers

• A male authority figure (king/host) addressing a group of women (e.g.
• courtesans/performers) within the opening narrative context

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "hasya", "secondaryRasa": "shringara", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Social ethics
• Pride and self-assessment
• Merit and public display
• Courtly culture

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse dramatizes the tension between inner worth (guṇa, audārya) and outward display (rūpa, dance). Ethically, it cautions that self-asserted superiority invites public testing; pride (ahaṃkāra) is exposed when virtue is made a spectacle.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse is primarily narrative framing rather than pancalakṣaṇa material. It does not directly map to Sarga/Pratisarga/Vaṃśa/Manvantara/Vaṃśānucarita; it functions as an introductory episode (ākhyāna) that sets tone and characters.

What is the esoteric significance?

Symbolically, “dance before me” can be read as the soul’s claimed excellence being measured in the light of discernment (the ‘witness’). Rūpa (appearance), audārya (expansiveness of heart), and guṇa (inner qualities) are three axes of evaluation—suggesting that true excellence must harmonize outer form with inner virtue.