Shloka 29

Adhyaya 26 — Madālasa Names Alarka and Reorients Him Toward Kshatriya Duty

Sanskrit

पितरो देवलोकस्थास्तथा तिर्यक्त्वमागताः ।

तद्वन्मनुष्यतां याता भूतवर्गे च संस्थिताः ॥

Transliteration

pitaro deva-loka-sthās tathā tiryaktvam āgatāḥ / tadvan manuṣyatāṃ yātā bhūta-varge ca saṃsthitāḥ //

Translation

«Los antepasados pueden morar en el mundo de los dioses; asimismo pueden haber ido a un estado animal; del mismo modo pueden haber alcanzado condición humana, o estar situados entre clases de seres (bhūtas).»

Word by Word

• पितरः: the fathers/ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन

• देवलोक-स्थाः: dwelling in the world of the gods
• देवलोक-स्थाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समास: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (देवलोके स्थाः = situated in heaven)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थे (so/likewise)

• तिर्यक्त्वम्: animal state
• तिर्यक्त्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यक् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धित (state of being an animal)

• आगताः: have attained/come to
• आगताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अर्थ: ‘having come/attained’

• तद्वत्: similarly, like that
• तद्वत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘like that’ (तद् + वत्)

• मनुष्यताम्: human state
• मनुष्यताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्यता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक (human state)

• याताः: have gone to/attained
• याताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अर्थ: ‘having gone/attained’

• भूत-वर्गे: in the class of beings
• भूत-वर्गे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूतानां वर्गः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• संस्थिताः: are situated/established
• संस्थिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अर्थ: ‘situated/established’

Speakers

• Jaḍa to Madālasā

Key Themes

• Transmigration
• Pitṛ-loka and afterlife
• Cosmology (realms of beings)
• Ritual obligation across states

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Because the departed may exist in varied states, śrāddha/tarpaṇa is framed as universally beneficial—supporting ancestors regardless of their post-mortem destination.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Touches cosmological worldview (loka-vyavasthā) but remains within Anucarita/dharma instruction rather than formal Sarga/Manvantara exposition.

What is the esoteric significance?

The verse encodes a ‘networked’ cosmos: offerings act as subtle transfers (saṃbandha) across planes. It also implies compassion beyond certainty—ritual as a hedge against epistemic limits about the dead’s condition.