Shloka 10

ताराविलापः

Tara’s Lament over Vāli

Devanagari script

हृदयं सुस्थिरं मह्यं दृष्ट्वा विनिहतं पतिम्।यन्न शोकाभिसन्तप्तं स्फुटतेऽद्य सहस्रधा4.20.10।।

Transliteration

hṛdayaṃ susthiraṃ mahyaṃ dṛṣṭvā vinihataṃ patim | yan na śokābhisantaptaṃ sphuṭate 'dya sahasradhā ||

Translation

Mein Herz muss aus Eisen sein: denn obgleich vom Kummer versengt, ist es nicht in tausend Stücke zerborsten, selbst als ich meinen Gatten erschlagen sah.

Word by Word

• हृदयम्: heart
• हृदयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुस्थिरम्: very steady
• सुस्थिरम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-स्थिर (प्रातिपदिक; components: सु + स्थिर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (adjectival: 'very firm') qualifying हृदयम्

• मह्यम्: for me/to me
• मह्यम्: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), 'having seen'

• विनिहतम्: slain
• विनिहतम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+नि+हत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √हन् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि (PPP) qualifying पतिम्

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun) referring to हृदयम्

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• शोकाभिसन्तप्तम्: tormented by sorrow
• शोकाभिसन्तप्तम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोक-अभि-सन्तप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; components: शोक + अभि + सन्तप्त; √तप् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/उपसर्गयुक्त-PPP; qualifying यत्(हृदयम्)

• स्फुटते: breaks/splits
• स्फुटते: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्फुट् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• सहस्रधा: a thousandfold
• सहस्रधा: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रधा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb: 'into a thousand ways')

Context

'I presume my heart is strong, for it has not broken into a thousand pieces, even though I am overwhelmed with grief to see my husband fallen on the ground.

Characters & Entities

• Tārā
• Vāli

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Satya in grief: Tārā speaks the unvarnished truth of suffering, reminding listeners that dharma is not abstract—it must reckon with the real pain caused by violence and loss.

What is the narrative situation?

Tārā mourns over Vāli’s body, astonished that her heart still endures despite overwhelming sorrow.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Emotional honesty and steadfast endurance in bereavement.