Shloka 57

Adhyaya 69 — The King’s Neglect of His Wife and the Restoration of Dharma

Sanskrit

ऋषिरुवाच किं विस्मृतं ते यत्पत्नी त्वया त्यक्ता च कानने ।

परित्यक्तस्तया सार्धं त्वया धर्मो नृपाखिलः ॥

Transliteration

ṛṣir uvāca kiṃ vismṛtaṃ te yat patnī tvayā tyaktā ca kānane | parityaktas tayā sārdhaṃ tvayā dharmo nṛpākhilaḥ ||

Translation

Der Weise sprach: „Hast du vergessen, dass du deine Gemahlin im Wald verlassen hast? Mit ihr hast du die ganze Dharma preisgegeben, o König.“

Word by Word

• ऋषिः: the sage
• ऋषिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• विस्मृतम्: forgotten
• विस्मृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘forgotten’

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचन (enclitic)

• यत्: that (which)
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• पत्नी: wife
• पत्नी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन

• त्यक्ता: was abandoned
• त्यक्ता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘abandoned’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कानने: in the forest
• कानने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• परित्यक्तः: (you) were abandoned
• परित्यक्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘abandoned’

• तया: by her
• तया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Sahakari (सहकारी)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अर्थक अव्यय (preposition/adverb)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन

• धर्मः: dharma / righteous duty
• धर्मः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन, एकवचन

• अखिलः: entire, whole
• अखिलः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) धर्मस्य

Speakers

• Ṛṣi to the king

Key Themes

• Gṛhastha-dharma
• Patnī as dharma-sahacāriṇī
• Adharma and social rupture

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The wife is treated as a partner in dharma (not merely a dependent). Abandoning her is framed as abandoning dharma itself—because household life, ritual continuity, and ethical order are sustained through that covenant.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Dharma/ācāra teaching inside Manvantara narrative. While not a formal pancalakṣaṇa category, Purāṇas routinely embed such normative teaching within manvantara stories.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Forest’ can symbolize withdrawal from ordered life into unregulated impulse. Leaving the patnī (dharma-companion) signifies severing the inner principle of steadiness and sacred responsibility.