Shloka 15

Śaṅkha–Likhita Upākhyāna: Daṇḍa, Confession, and the Purification of Kingship (शङ्ख-लिखितोपाख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

दैवेनाभ्याहतो राजा कर्मकाले महद्ुते । न साधयति यत्‌ कर्म न तत्राहुरतिक्रमम्‌

Transliteration

daivenābhyāhato rājā karmakāle mahadute | na sādhayati yat karma na tatrāhur atikramam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “When a king is struck down by fate at the very time for action, and therefore cannot accomplish the task he set out to do, the wise do not call that a moral transgression. The failure is attributed to overpowering destiny rather than to a deliberate breach of duty.”

Word by Word

• दैवेन: by fate / by divine dispensation
• दैवेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अभ्याहतः: struck/afflicted
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-आ-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कर्मकाले: at the time of action
• कर्मकाले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मकाल
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• महत्: great (thing)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उत: indeed / also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• साधयति: accomplishes
• Type: Verb
• Root: साध्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यत्: which
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कर्म: act / task
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• तत्र: there / in that case
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• आहुः: they say
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• अतिक्रमम्: transgression / fault
• अतिक्रमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• rājā (the king, generic)