Shloka 11

Saṃvaraṇa’s Petition and Tapatī’s Conditioned Consent (सम्वरण-तपती संवादः)

Devanagari script

कुर्यान्न निन्दितं कर्म न नृशंसं कथंचन । इति पूर्वे महात्मान आपद्धर्मविदो विदु:,आपद्धर्मके ज्ञाता प्राचीन महात्माओंने कहा है कि किसी प्रकार भी क्रूर एवं निन्दित कर्म नहीं करना चाहिये। अतः आज अपनी पत्नीके साथ स्वयं मेरा विनाश हो जाय, यह श्रेष्ठ है; किंतु ब्राह्यणवधकी अनुमति मैं कदापि नहीं दे सकता

Transliteration

kuryān na ninditaṃ karma na nṛśaṃsaṃ kathaṃcana | iti pūrve mahātmāna āpaddharmavido viduḥ ||

Translation

Dijo el brahmán: «Jamás debe uno cometer un acto censurable, ni obrar con crueldad bajo circunstancia alguna. Así lo han declarado los antiguos magnánimos, conocedores del dharma en tiempos de calamidad. Por eso, aunque hoy perezca yo junto con mi esposa, será mejor; pero nunca puedo dar mi consentimiento para la muerte de un brahmán».

Word by Word

[{'term''kuryāt', 'definition': 'should do

ought to perform (optative of √kṛ)'}, {'term''na', 'definition': 'not

never'}, {'term''ninditam', 'definition': 'blameworthy, censured, condemned'}, {'term': 'karma', 'definition': 'act, deed

conduct'}, {'term''nṛśaṃsam', 'definition': 'cruel, pitiless, inhuman'}, {'term': 'kathaṃcana', 'definition': 'in any way

under any circumstance'}, {'term''iti', 'definition': 'thus

so (quotative particle)'}, {'term''pūrve', 'definition': 'the ancients

those of former times'}, {'term''mahātmānaḥ', 'definition': 'great-souled ones

noble persons'}, {'term''āpaddharma', 'definition': 'dharma in distress/calamity

emergency ethics'}, {'term''vidaḥ / vido', 'definition': 'knowers

those who understand'}, {'term''viduḥ', 'definition': 'they know

they have declared/recognized'}, {'term''brāhmaṇavadha', 'definition': 'killing of a brāhmaṇa (a grave sin)'}, {'term': 'anumati', 'definition': 'permission, consent, approval'}]

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

ब्राह्मण (the brāhmaṇa speaker)

प

पत्नी (the brāhmaṇa's wife)

प

पूर्वे महात्मानः (ancient great-souled authorities)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in extreme distress (āpaddharma), one must not justify cruel or censured actions; certain moral boundaries—especially the prohibition against killing a brāhmaṇa—are upheld as inviolable, and personal loss is preferable to committing grave adharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa, speaking under pressure of a crisis, cites the authority of ancient dharma-knowers to refuse any consent to a cruel, blameworthy act—specifically brāhmaṇa-killing—declaring that he would rather perish with his wife than allow such a sin.