Shloka 49

Adhyaya 4 — Jaimini Meets the Dharmapakshis: Four Doubts on the Mahabharata and the Opening of Narayana Doctrine

Sanskrit

तृतीया कर्म कुरुते प्रजापालनतत्परा ।

सत्त्वोद्रिक्ता तु सा ज्ञेया धर्मसंस्थानकारिणी ॥

Transliteration

tṛtīyā karma kurute prajāpālanatatparā / sattvodriktā tu sā jñeyā dharmasaṃsthānakāriṇī

Translation

La tercera (forma) actúa, consagrada a la protección y al gobierno del pueblo. Debe ser conocida como aquella en quien predomina el sattva: la que establece y sostiene el orden del dharma.

Word by Word

• तृतीया: the third (one/form)
• तृतीया: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेष्य (ordinal used substantively)

• कर्म: action; duty
• कर्म: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुरुते: does; performs
• कुरुते: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• प्रजा: of the subjects/creatures
• प्रजा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• पालन: protection; governance
• पालन: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पालन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी/षष्ठी-समासार्थ (समासपूर्वपद; ‘पालने/पालनस्य’ sense)

• तत्परा: devoted to protecting the subjects
• तत्परा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—प्रजा+पालन+तत्परा (प्रजापालनतत्परा) = ‘प्रजापालने तत्परा’ (locative/goal-oriented sense)

• सत्त्व: sattva (purity)
• सत्त्व: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-समासार्थ (समासपूर्वपद)

• उद्रिक्ता: abounding in sattva
• उद्रिक्ता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्रिक्त (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण from √द्रिच्/√द्रेक् ‘to increase’, usage ‘abounding’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—सत्त्व+उद्रिक्ता (सत्त्वोद्रिक्ता) = ‘सत्त्वेन उद्रिक्ता/सत्त्वे उद्रिक्ता’ (abounding in sattva)

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात/particle (contrast/emphasis)

• सा: she; that (one)
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ज्ञेया: to be known (as)
• ज्ञेया: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (प्रधानविशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञेय (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √ज्ञा, gerundive/भाव्य)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थ-भाव्य (to be known)

• धर्म: of dharma; righteousness
• धर्म: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-समासार्थ (समासपूर्वपद; ‘धर्मस्य’)

• संस्थान: establishment; order
• संस्थान: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-समासार्थ (समासपूर्वपद; ‘स्थापन/व्यवस्था’)

• कारिणी: one who establishes dharma
• कारिणी: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (प्रधानविशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √कृ, agent noun)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—धर्म+संस्थान+कारिणी (धर्मसंस्थानकारिणी) = ‘धर्मसंस्थानं करोति या’

Speakers

• Not specified in input (likely within the Markandeya Purana’s didactic narration rather than the Devi Mahatmyam battle-frame).

Shakti Aspects

• Not a Devi Mahatmyam verse; no specific Goddess form explicitly named here.

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Guṇa theory (sattva predominance)
• Rājadharma / governance as protection of subjects
• Ethical typology of action

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Action aligned with sattva is characterized by public-spirited responsibility: protecting and sustaining the community (prajā) and stabilizing dharma as a lived social order. The verse valorizes duty performed for collective welfare rather than private gain.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily aligns with 'Vaṃśānucarita' in the broad sense of normative conduct associated with rulers/protectors (rājadharma) rather than cosmological creation; it is ethical instruction embedded within narrative/doctrinal exposition, not a direct Sarga/Pratisarga/Manvantara account in this verse.

What is the esoteric significance?

Sattva’s predominance symbolizes lucidity and harmonizing power: the capacity to hold beings together through dharma-saṃsthāna (right structure). Esoterically, 'prajāpālana' points to the inner governance of the senses and mind—protecting the 'subjects' (vṛttis) by establishing dharmic order within.