Shloka 28

Adhyaya 44 — Subahu’s Counsel to the King of Kashi and Alarka’s Renunciation through Yoga

Sanskrit

अलर्कोऽपि सुतं ज्येष्ठमभिषिच्य नराधिपम् ।

वनं जगाम सन्त्यक्तसर्वसङ्गः स्वसिद्धये ॥

Transliteration

alarko ’pi sutaṃ jyeṣṭham abhiṣicya narādhipam | vanaṃ jagāma santyakta-sarva-saṅgaḥ svasiddhaye ||

Translation

Auch Alarka, nachdem er seinen ältesten Sohn zum König geweiht hatte, ging in den Wald, gab alle Anhaftungen auf, um seine eigene geistige Vollendung zu erlangen.

Word by Word

• alarkaḥ: Alarka
• alarkaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: alarka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• sutam: son
• sutam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• jyeṣṭham: eldest
• jyeṣṭham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jyeṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; qualifies sutam

• abhiṣicya: having anointed
• abhiṣicya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sic (धातु) + abhi + ya (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-अव्यय (gerund); ‘having consecrated/anointed’

• nara-adhipam: ruler of men (king)
• nara-adhipam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘नराणाम् अधिपः’; पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; apposition to sutam

• vanam: to the forest
• vanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• jagāma: went
• jagāma: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनम्

• santyakta-sarva-saṅgaḥ: one who has abandoned all attachments
• santyakta-sarva-saṅgaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: santyakta (sam+√tyaj + क्त) + sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + saṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘सन्त्यक्ताः सर्वे सङ्गाः यस्य सः’; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; qualifies alarkaḥ

• sva-siddhaye: for his own attainment
• sva-siddhaye: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘स्वस्य सिद्धिः’; स्त्रीलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचनम्

Speakers

• Narrator voice

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Vānaprastha/saṃnyāsa ideal
• Tyāga (renunciation)
• Succession and responsible kingship
• Yoga-sādhana

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Renunciation is shown as responsible, not escapist: the king secures social order by installing a successor, then pursues liberation. Dharma (rāja-dharma) and mokṣa are harmonized.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

‘Vaṃśānucarita’ (royal conduct) with a strong dharma-mokṣa teaching function.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘forest’ is both literal and symbolic: withdrawal from sensory entanglement into inner solitude where the Self can be realized unobstructed.