Shloka 29

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

एकस्यैका प्रदातव्या न बहूनां कदाचन | सा गौर्विक्रयमापन्ना हन्यात्‌ त्रिपुरुषं कुलम्‌

Transliteration

ekasyaikā pradātavyā na bahūnāṁ kadācana | sā gaur vikrayam āpannā hanyāt tripuruṣaṁ kulam ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: “A cow should be given only to one rightful recipient—never to many at once. If that cow is driven into sale (treated as merchandise after being given), she can bring ruin upon a family for three generations.”

Word by Word

• एकस्य: of one (person)
• एकस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• एका: one (female/one item)
• एका: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रदातव्या: should be given
• प्रदातव्या: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (प्र + दा)
• Form: तव्यत् (gerundive/obligative), Feminine, Nominative, Singular, Passive sense (ought to be given)

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

• बहूनाम्: of many (persons)
• बहूनाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• कदाचन: ever/at any time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन

• सा: that (she/it)
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• गौः: cow
• गौः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विक्रयम्: sale
• विक्रयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विक्रय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आपन्ना: having fallen into / having come to
• आपन्ना: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आपद् (आ + पद्)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Feminine, Nominative, Singular, Active adjectival usage

• हन्यात्: would kill / may destroy
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Vidhi-linga (optative), Present-system, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• त्रि: three
• त्रि: Karma
• Type: Adjective/Numeral
• Root: त्रि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular (as part of compound)

• पुरुषम्: persons/men
• पुरुषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular (as part of compound)

• कुलम्: family/lineage
• कुलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• cow (gauḥ)
• kula (lineage/family)