Shloka 53

Adhyaya 18 — Arjuna Declines the Throne; Garga Directs Him to Dattatreya; The Gods Defeat the Daityas through Dattatreya’s Vision and the Movement of Lakshmi

Sanskrit

शिरोगता सन्त्यजति ततो 'न्यं याति चाश्रयम् ।

सेयं शिरोगता चैतान् परित्यक्ष्यति साम्प्रतम् ॥

Transliteration

śirogatā santyajati tato 'nyaṃ yāti cāśrayam / seyaṃ śirogatā caitān parityakṣyati sāmpratam

Translation

When Lakṣmī reaches the head, she abandons that person and goes to another refuge. Now this Lakṣmī, having reached the head, will at present abandon these foes.

Word by Word

• śirogatā: having gone to the head
• śirogatā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiras + gata (प्रातिपदिक; गत- from √gam धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘gata’ used adjectivally; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (śirasya gatā = gone to/on the head)

• santyajati: abandons
• santyajati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√tyaj (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• tataḥ: then/from there
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: अव्यय-सम्बन्ध/क्रम (then/from there)

• anyam: another
• anyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (implied ‘āśrayam’)

• yāti: goes
• yāti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• āśrayam: refuge/support
• āśrayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• sā: she/that (one)
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• iyam: this (she)
• iyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (deictic)

• śirogatā: having gone to the head
• śirogatā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiras + gata (प्रातिपदिक; गत- from √gam धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त (क्त); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• etān: these (ones)
• etān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• parityakṣyati: will abandon
• parityakṣyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√tyaj (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• sāmpratam: now/at present
• sāmpratam: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāmprata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

Speakers

• Dattātreya to Devas

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "bhakti", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Dattātreya
• Lakṣmī

Shakti Aspects

• Śrī/Lakṣmī

Key Themes

• Impermanence of fortune
• Pride and downfall (implied by ‘head’)
• Turning point before battle

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Fortune that ‘goes to the head’ becomes unstable—an ethical warning against intoxication by prosperity; pride precipitates the departure of śrī.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Moral instruction expressed through personified Lakṣmī; ancillary narrative teaching rather than one of the five formal purāṇic categories.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Head’ symbolizes ahaṅkāra (ego). When śrī is appropriated by ego, it cannot remain; it migrates to a humbler ‘support’ (āśraya).