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Shloka 23

Adhyaya 16The Son’s Counsel on Renunciation and the Anasuya–Mandavya Episode: The Suspension of Sunrise and the Power of Pativrata

वामः कामो मनुष्याणां बहुभिः प्रार्थ्यते च सा ।

ममाशक्तिश्च गमने सङ्कुलं प्रतिभाति मे ॥

vāmaḥ kāmo manuṣyāṇāṃ bahubhiḥ prārthyate ca sā / mamāśaktiś ca gamane saṅkulaṃ pratibhāti me

„Das Begehren ist unter den Menschen wankelmütig, und jene Frau wird von vielen begehrt. Ich aber habe nicht die Kraft zu gehen; die Reise erscheint mir schwierig und verworren, voller Hindernisse.“

वामःcapricious/wayward
वामः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootवाम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)
कामःdesire
कामः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकाम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
मनुष्याणाम्of men/humans
मनुष्याणाम्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootमनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)
बहुभिःby many
बहुभिः:
Karana (करण/Instrument)
TypeAdjective
Rootबहु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)
प्रार्थ्यतेis entreated/asked for
प्रार्थ्यते:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-√अर्थ् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)
and
:
Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
साshe
सा:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)
ममmy
मम:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
अशक्तिःinability
अशक्तिः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअ-शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
and
:
Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
गमनेin going/journeying
गमने:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
TypeNoun
Rootगमन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन
सङ्कुलम्confused/entangled
सङ्कुलम्:
Karma (कर्म/Predicate complement)
TypeAdjective
Rootसङ्कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)
प्रतिभातिappears/seems
प्रतिभाति:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootप्रति-√भा (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
मेto me
मे:
Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formचतुर्थी/षष्ठी-एकवचन (Dative/Genitive singular) रूप; अत्र दत्तिवाचक (to me)
Narrative voice describing/quoting the husband (Kauśika) speaking to his wife

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

DharmaHouseholder ethicsKarmic consequenceDesire and weakness

FAQs

Unchecked kāma (desire) produces self-contradiction and dependence: the husband admits incapacity yet presses forward through passion, setting the stage for harm to others and karmic fallout.

Primarily outside the five (sarga, pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, vaṃśānucarita). It is best classified as vaṃśānucarita-style ethical narrative (didactic history/episode) rather than cosmology.

The ‘entangled path’ (saṅkula-mārga) mirrors inner confusion: when desire leads, discernment dims, and one stumbles into the domain of tapas (ascetic power), provoking consequences.