Shloka 27

Adhyaya 43 — Portents of Death (Ariṣṭa-lakṣaṇas) and the Yogin’s Response; Alarka Renounces Kingship

Sanskrit

उष्ट्र-रासभयानेन यः स्वप्ने दक्षिणां दिशम् ।

प्रयाति तञ्च जानीयात् सद्योमृत्युं न संशयः ॥

Transliteration

uṣṭra-rāsabhayānena yaḥ svapne dakṣiṇāṃ diśam / prayāti tañca jānīyāt sadyomṛtyuṃ na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Wer im Traum nach Süden reist, auf einem Kamel oder einem Esel reitend—den erkennt als ohne Zweifel dem unmittelbaren Tod bestimmt.

Word by Word

• uṣṭra-rāsabha-yānena: by a camel-and-donkey conveyance
• uṣṭra-rāsabha-yānena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uṣṭra (प्रातिपदिक) + rāsabha (प्रातिपदिक) + yāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः: उष्ट्ररासभयोः यानम् (camel-and-donkey vehicle)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; relative pronoun

• svapne: in a dream
• svapne: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svapna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• dakṣiṇām: southern
• dakṣiṇām: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; agrees with diśam

• diśam: direction
• diśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• prayāti: goes
• prayāti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√yā (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular; pra + √या = goes forth

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; demonstrative pronoun

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय-अव्यय)

• jānīyāt: should know
• jānīyāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular; √ज्ञा = should know

• sadyaḥ-mṛtyum: immediate death
• sadyaḥ-mṛtyum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sadyaḥ (अव्यय) + mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; अव्ययीभावः: सद्यः (तत्क्षणम्) मरणम्

• na: no
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-अव्यय)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

Speakers

• Not explicit in excerpt; dream-omen list

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Omens
• Dream interpretation
• Directions symbolism
• Mortality

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Direction-symbolism (south as the realm of Yama in cultural imagination) is used to prompt seriousness about death; the implied instruction is to complete dharma and cultivate detachment.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary omen material; not a core pancalakṣaṇa narrative.

What is the esoteric significance?

The southward journey represents the jīva’s movement toward the ‘closing’ path; humble/harsh mounts (donkey/camel) can symbolize burdened karma carrying one toward termination.