Shloka 3

कुण्डधारोपाख्यानम्

Kuṇḍadhāra-Upākhyāna: Dharma’s Superiority over Wealth and Desire

Devanagari script

आह़यैनान्‌ महाब्रह्मन्‌ विशमानांस्ततस्तत: । पश्येमान्‌ हस्तपादैश्न श्लिष्टान्‌ देहेषु सर्वश:

Transliteration

āhvayainān mahābrahman viśamānāṁs tataḥ tataḥ | paśyemān hastapādaiś ca śliṣṭān deheṣu sarvaśaḥ ||

Translation

Chulādhāra dijo: «Oh gran brāhmaṇa, llama a estas criaturas que se deslizan entrando aquí y allá. Mira: por doquier, al meterse en sus refugios, tienen manos y pies recogidos y apretados contra el cuerpo. Convócalas y pregúntales».

Word by Word

• आह्वय: call (you) / summon
• Type: Verb
• Root: आह्वा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 2, singular, परस्मैपद

• एनान्: these (persons)
• एनान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• महाब्रह्मन्: O great Brahman
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• विशमानान्: entering / creeping into
• विशमानान्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश् (धातु) → विशमान (शतृ-प्रत्यय, वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• ततः: then / from there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

• ततः: again then / here and there (repeated)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

• पश्य: see / behold
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 2, singular, परस्मैपद

• इमान्: these (persons)
• इमान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• हस्तपादैः: with (their) hands and feet
• हस्तपादैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• श्लिष्टान्: clung/pressed (close)
• श्लिष्टान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्लिष् (धातु) → श्लिष्ट (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• देहेषु: on/in (their) bodies
• देहेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, locative, plural

• सर्वशः: everywhere / wholly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वशः (अव्यय)

Speaker

चुलाधार उवाच

Characters & Entities

• चुलाधार (Chulādhāra)
• महाब्रह्मन् (mahābrahman—addressed Brāhmaṇa)
• हस्त (hands)
• पाद (feet)
• देह (body)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse urges careful observation and inquiry: by attentively watching how beings protect themselves and move through the world, one can question and learn about their nature and the ethical implications of one’s actions toward them.

What is happening in the narrative?

Chulādhāra addresses a Brāhmaṇa and points out creatures entering their shelters, with limbs drawn in close to their bodies. He asks the Brāhmaṇa to call them and question them, setting up a reflective, didactic exchange.