Shloka 5

अश्मोवाच उत्पन्नमिममात्मानं नरस्यानन्तरं ततः । तानि तान्यनुवर्तन्ते दु:खानि च सुखानि च,अश्माने कहा--राजन्‌! मनुष्यका यह शरीर जब जन्म ग्रहण करता है, तब उसके साथ ही सुख और दुःख भी उसके पीछे लग जाते हैं

aśmovāca utpannam imam ātmānaṁ narasyānantaraṁ tataḥ | tāni tāny anuvartante duḥkhāni ca sukhāni ca ||

Aśma said: “O King, when this embodied self of a human being comes into birth, then immediately thereafter joys and sorrows follow close behind—each in its turn—attaching themselves to him as companions of embodied life.”

अश्माAshma (a speaker’s name)
अश्मा:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअश्मन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
TypeVerb
Rootवच्
FormPerfect, 3rd, Singular
उत्पन्नम्arisen, born
उत्पन्नम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootउत् + पद्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
इमम्this
इमम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
आत्मानम्self; person; body (here: embodied self)
आत्मानम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootआत्मन्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
नरस्यof a man
नरस्य:
TypeNoun
Rootनर
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
अनन्तरम्immediately after
अनन्तरम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअनन्तर
ततःthen; thereafter
ततः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतद्
तानिthose (things)
तानि:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
तानिthose (very same)
तानि:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
अनुवर्तन्तेfollow (along), pursue
अनुवर्तन्ते:
TypeVerb
Rootअनु + वृत्
FormPresent, 3rd, Plural, Atmanepada
दुःखानिsufferings
दुःखानि:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदुःख
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
सुखानिpleasures, happinesses
सुखानि:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसुख
FormNeuter, Nominative, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root

जनक उवाच

A
Aśma
K
King (rājan)
H
human being (nara)
S
self (ātman)
S
sukha
D
duḥkha

Educational Q&A

Embodied existence inevitably brings alternating experiences of pleasure and pain; recognizing their inevitability supports steadiness, restraint, and detachment rather than being driven by either.

In a didactic exchange addressed to a king, the speaker Aśma states a general truth about human life: from the moment of birth, happiness and suffering accompany a person, arriving in succession.