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Shloka 56

Adhyaya 7 — Harishchandra Tested by Vishvamitra: The Gift of the Kingdom and the Pandava Curse-Backstory

Sanskrit

इति पौरवचः श्रुत्वा राजा शोकपरिप्लुतः ।

अतिष्ठत स तदा मार्गे तेषामेवानुकम्पया ॥

Transliteration

iti pauravacaḥ śrutvā rājā śokapariplutaḥ /

atiṣṭhat sa tadā mārge teṣāmevānukampayā

Translation

Als der König so die Worte der Stadtbewohner vernommen hatte, hielt er—vom Kummer überwältigt—daraufhin auf dem Weg inne, einzig aus Mitgefühl für sie.

Word by Word
इतिthus
इति:
सम्बन्धसूचक (Discourse marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)
पौर-वचःthe words of the citizens
पौर-वचः:
कर्म (Karma/Object of श्रुत्वा)
TypeNoun
Rootपौर (प्रातिपदिक) + वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास ‘पौराणां वचः’
श्रुत्वाhaving heard
श्रुत्वा:
पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Pūrvakāla-kriyā/Absolutive)
TypeVerb
Root√श्रु (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव; ‘having heard’
राजाthe king
राजा:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootराजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular
शोक-परिप्लुतःoverwhelmed by grief
शोक-परिप्लुतः:
विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/Qualifier of राजा)
TypeAdjective
Rootशोक (प्रातिपदिक) + परि√प्लु (धातु) → परिप्लुत (कृदन्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; तत्पुरुष-समास ‘शोकेन परिप्लुतः’
अतिष्ठत्stood / halted
अतिष्ठत्:
क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√स्था (धातु)
Formलङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past/लङ्), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; Parasmaipada
सःhe
सः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; pronoun referring to राजा
तदाthen
तदा:
कालाधिकरण (Kāla-adhikaraṇa/Time)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)
मार्गेon the road
मार्गे:
अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
TypeNoun
Rootमार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular
तेषाम्of them
तेषाम्:
सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural
एवindeed / just
एव:
सम्बन्धसूचक (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधारण (restrictive particle)
अनुकम्पयाout of compassion
अनुकम्पया:
हेतु/करण (Hetu or Karaṇa/Instrumental cause)
TypeNoun
Rootअनुकम्पा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular
Speakers
Narratorial voice (describing the king’s reaction; not a direct Markandeya–Jaimini or birds’ dialogue line in this verse as given)
Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes
DharmaKingship (raja-dharma)Compassion (anukampa)Human suffering and moral response

FAQs

The verse highlights a core rāja-dharma impulse: a ruler is not merely an executor of power but one who responds to public suffering with empathy. The king’s ‘stopping on the road’ signifies a deliberate suspension of personal agenda in order to attend to the people’s distress—compassion is presented as a legitimate driver of royal action.

This verse is best classified under Vaṁśānucarita / ethical-royal narrative (accounts connected to rulers and conduct), rather than Sarga/Pratisarga/Manvantara/Vaṁśa in a strict cosmological sense. It functions as narrative-ethical framing that supports the Purana’s broader didactic aims.

Symbolically, the ‘road’ (mārga) can be read as the trajectory of worldly duty and fate; the king’s halt represents the inward pause that precedes transformation. In the larger Purāṇic storytelling rhythm, such a moment of sorrow and compassion often prepares the ground for seeking higher refuge and instruction—setting the psychological precondition for later sacred discourse.

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