Shloka 12

Adhyaya 27 — Madālasa’s Instruction to King Alarka: Royal Ethics, Self-Conquest, and Statecraft

Sanskrit

तस्मात् कामादयः पूर्वं जेयाः पुत्र ! महीभुजा ।

तज्जये हि जयोऽवश्यं राजा नश्यति तैर्जितः ॥

Transliteration

tasmāt kāmādayaḥ pūrvaṃ jeyāḥ putra! mahībhujā /

tajjaye hi jayo 'vaśyaṃ rājā naśyati tair jitaḥ

Translation

Darum, o Sohn, muss der König zuerst Begierde und die übrigen (Regungen) besiegen. Sind sie besiegt, ist der Sieg gewiss; wird aber der König von ihnen besiegt, geht er zugrunde.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु/Cause-source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; ‘therefore/from that’

• कामादयः: desire and the rest
• कामादयः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘kāma etc.’ (ādi = ‘and others’)

• पूर्वम्: first
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘first/previously’

• जेयाः: must be conquered
• जेयाः: Vidheyavisheshana (विधेयविशेषण/Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जि (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: भाव्य/यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive/future passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘to be conquered’

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• महीभुजा: by the king
• महीभुजा: Kartr-karana (कर्तृकरण/agent-instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + भुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘by the earth-holder’ = king

• तत्: in that
• तत्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (in compound sense with jaye)

• जये: in their conquest
• जये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘in victory/when (they are) conquered’

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/particle (reason/emphasis)

• जयः: victory
• जयः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अवश्यम्: certainly
• अवश्यम्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अवश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘certainly/inevitably’

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नश्यति: perishes
• नश्यति: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• जितः: having been conquered
• जितः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जि (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘conquered’

Speakers

• Didactic instruction within the Markandeya Purana’s nīti/rājadharma discourse (speaker not specified in the provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "dharma", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Kingship
• Inner Enemies (ariṣaḍvarga)
• Self-mastery

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text equates ethical self-governance with political success: conquering inner compulsions secures outer stability; being ruled by them guarantees downfall.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary dharma/nīti instruction; not pancalakṣaṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

The king symbolizes the conscious self; ‘victory’ is integration and clarity. When desire and allied impulses dominate, sovereignty is lost—an inner allegory consistent with yogic psychology.