Shloka 5

कर्कोटक-उपदेशः

Karkoṭaka’s Counsel and Nala’s Concealment

Devanagari script

कथमुत्सृज्य गन्तासि दक्षां भार्यामनुव्रताम्‌ । विशेषतो5नपकृते परेणापकृते सति,“मैं आपकी सेवामें कुशल और अनुरक्त भार्या हूँ। विशेषतः मेरे द्वारा आपका कोई अपराध भी नहीं हुआ है। यदि कोई अपराध हुआ है, तो वह दूसरेके ही द्वारा, मुझसे नहीं; तो भी आप मुझे त्यागकर क्‍यों चले जा रहे हैं?

Transliteration

katham utsṛjya gantāsi dakṣāṁ bhāryām anuvratām | viśeṣato 'napakṛte pareṇāpakṛte sati ||

Translation

“How can you go away after abandoning a capable wife who is devoted and faithful to you? Especially when I have done you no wrong—when, if any wrong has occurred, it has been done by someone else. Why then do you leave me?”

Word by Word

कथम्how?

उत्सृज्यhaving abandoned, leaving behind

गन्तासिyou will go

दक्षाम्the capable (woman)

भार्याम्wife

अनुव्रताम्faithful, devoted (to her husband)

विशेषतःespecially, in particular

अनपकृतेwhen (I am) not having done harm; in the case of no offense

परेणby another (person)

अपकृतेwhen harm has been done; in the case of an offense

सतिbeing; when it is so

Speaker

ब॒हृदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

bhāryā (wife)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds marital dharma and ethical responsibility: abandoning a faithful spouse is morally questionable, especially when she is blameless. It also stresses discernment in assigning blame—punishing the innocent for another’s fault violates righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

A devoted wife confronts her husband as he is about to leave her. She argues that she has remained loyal and has committed no offense; if any wrongdoing occurred, it was caused by someone else. Her plea is both emotional and ethical, challenging the justice of her abandonment.