Shloka 11

Dharma-Pramāṇa-Vicāra: The Elusiveness of Dharma and the Limits of Rule-Lists

Devanagari script

महोष्मान्तर्गतश्नापि गर्भत्वं समुपेयिवान्‌ । दश मासान्‌ वसन्‌ कुक्षौ नैषोऊन्ञमिव जीर्यते,(यह कितने बड़े आश्वर्यकी बात है कि) गर्भभावकी प्राप्त हुआ जीवात्मा दस मासतक माताके उदरमें निवास करता है और जठरानलकी अधिक आँचसे संतप्त होता रहता है तो भी अन्नकी भाँति पच नहीं जाता

Transliteration

mahoṣmāntargataś cāpi garbhatvaṁ samupeyivān | daśa māsān vasan kukṣau naiṣo 'nnam iva jīryate ||

Translation

Vyāsa said: Even after entering the state of an embryo and dwelling for ten months within the womb—scorched by the intense inner heat of the belly-fire—this embodied self is not digested like food. This is a great wonder.

Word by Word

• महोष्मान्तर्गतः: entered into great heat (i.e., within intense warmth)
• महोष्मान्तर्गतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महोष्म-अन्तर्गत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• गर्भत्वम्: the state of being an embryo (embryo-hood)
• गर्भत्वम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भत्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• समुपेयिवान्: having attained/entered upon
• समुपेयिवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उप+इ (उपेयिवस्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Perfect active participle (कृत्: क्वसुँ/वसुँ-type, 'one who has attained')

• दश: ten
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश
• Form: Numeral used with 'मासान्'

• मासान्: months (as duration: for months)
• मासान्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वसन्: dwelling/residing
• वसन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (निवासे)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Present active participle (शतृ)

• कुक्षौ: in the womb/belly
• कुक्षौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुक्षि
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• एषः: this (being/creature)
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उष्णम्: heat
• उष्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उष्ण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• जीर्यते: is digested/decays
• Type: Verb
• Root: जॄ (जीर्णे/पाके)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada, Passive/mediopassive sense

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• jāṭharāgni (belly-fire/digestive fire)
• kukṣi (womb)