Shloka 28

Aṣṭāvakra–Kahoda Upākhyāna: Śvetaketu’s Āśrama, Sarasvatī, and the Origin of Aṣṭāvakra

Devanagari script

न विद्यते यदा मांसं कपोतेन सम॑ धृतम्‌ । तत उत्कृत्तमांसोडसावारुरोह स्वयं तुलाम्‌,किंतु दूसरे पलड़ेमें रखा हुआ कबूतर उस मांसकी अपेक्षा अधिक भारी निकला, तब महाराज उशीनरने पुनः अपना मांस काटकर चढ़ाया। इस प्रकार बार-बार करनेपर भी जब वह मांस कबूतरके बराबर न हुआ, तब सारा मांस काट लेनेके पश्चात्‌ वे स्वयं ही तराजूपर चढ़ गये

Transliteration

na vidyate yadā māṁsaṁ kapotena samaṁ dhṛtam | tata utkṛttamāṁso 'sāv āruroha svayaṁ tulām |

Translation

Lomaśa said: “When the flesh he had cut off did not equal the pigeon’s weight, that king—having repeatedly cut away his own flesh—at last climbed onto the balance himself.”

Word by Word

नnot

विद्यतेexists / is found

यदाwhen

मांसम्flesh/meat

कपोतेनby/with the pigeon

समम्equally

धृतम्placed/held

तत्then/that

उत्कृत्तcut off

मांसflesh/meat

ओडसाby the weight/measure (of the scale-pan)

आtowards/unto (prefix-like)

अरुरोहmounted/climbed

स्वयम्himself

तुलाम्the balance/scale

Speaker

लोगमश उवाच

Characters & Entities

Lomaśa

King Uśīnara (Śibi)

pigeon (kapota)

balance/scale (tulā)

flesh offering (māṁsa)

Sandhi Notes