Shloka 31

Adhyaya 6 — Vasu's Story

Sanskrit

अवधूतं तथात्मानं मन्यमानो हलायुधः ।

चिन्तयामास सुमहन्मया पापमिदं कृतम् ॥

Transliteration

avadhūtaṃ tathātmānaṃ manyamāno halāyudhaḥ /

cintayāmāsa sumahan mayā pāpam idaṃ kṛtam //

Translation

Halāyudha (Balarāma), der sich selbst ebenso entehrt und gleichsam verstoßen wähnte, sann tief nach: „Ein großes Vergehen habe ich begangen.“

Word by Word

• avadhūtam: shaken off, cast away, disgraced
• avadhūtam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ava-√dhū (धातु) → avadhūta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कृदन्तः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• tathā: thus, in that way
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारः: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ātmānam: himself
• ātmānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• manyamānaḥ: thinking, considering
• manyamānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (धातु) → manyamāna (कृदन्त, शतृ/शानच्; आत्मनेपद-प्रयोग)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदी-धातोः शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त

• halāyudhaḥ: the one whose weapon is a plough (Balarāma)
• halāyudhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hala (प्रातिपदिक) + āyudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘हलम् आयुधं यस्य’ इति (name/epithet)

• cintayāmāsa: reflected, thought
• cintayāmāsa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √cint (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• su-mahat: very great
• su-mahat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘अत्यन्तं महत्’

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• pāpam: sin, evil deed
• pāpam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kṛtam: done, committed
• kṛtam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्तः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; (finite sense) ‘done/committed’

Speakers

• Narratorial verse (descriptive)
• not direct speech within the verse

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Balarāma (Halāyudha)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Karmic accountability
• Repentance (anutāpa)
• Ethical self-assessment

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse foregrounds dharmic conscience: recognition of one’s own culpability (pāpa-buddhi) is presented as the first step toward restraint, atonement (prāyaścitta), and re-alignment with righteous conduct. Even a mighty figure (Halāyudha) is shown subject to moral law and inner accountability.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse is best classified under secondary narrative/ethical instruction rather than the core pancalakṣaṇa categories (sarga, pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, vaṃśānucarita). It supports dharma-oriented teaching embedded within vaṃśānucarita-style storytelling, but it is not itself a genealogical or cosmological datum.

What is the esoteric significance?

Symbolically, Halāyudha (‘plough-weapon’) evokes the power to furrow and reorder the field; his remorse indicates that true strength is not mere force but the capacity to ‘re-plough’ one’s inner terrain—turning from impulsive action to reflective discernment (viveka) and moral purification.