Shloka 32

Devanagari script

तक्षोवाच क॑ भवन्तमहं विद्यां घोरकर्माणमद्य वै । एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं तत्वेन कथयस्व मे

Transliteration

Takṣa uvāca: kaṁ bhavantam ahaṁ vidyāṁ ghorakarmāṇam adya vai? etad icchāmy ahaṁ śrotuṁ tattvena kathayasva me.

Translation

Takṣa said: “Whom should I recognize today as the possessor of that dread, destructive power? I wish to hear this in truth—tell it to me exactly as it is.”

Word by Word

• तक्षः: Takṣa (proper name)
• तक्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तक्षन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवन्तम्: you (honorific), (as object)
• भवन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: भवत्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• विद्याम्: knowledge; lore
• विद्याम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• घोरकर्माणम्: of dreadful deeds; performing terrible acts
• घोरकर्माणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोरकर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अद्य: today; now
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• वै: indeed; surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छामि: I desire; I wish
• इच्छामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Infinitive (tumun)

• तत्त्वेन: in truth; accurately; in essence
• तत्त्वेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• कथयस्व: tell; relate
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय्
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Atmanepada

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Takṣa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds ethical inquiry: before judging or acting, one should seek truthful, precise knowledge (tattvena) about who holds dangerous power and what that implies.

What is happening in the narrative?

Takṣa questions the interlocutor about the identity of a person associated with fearsome deeds or destructive capability, requesting an accurate account rather than rumor or exaggeration.