Shloka 93

The Bhīma-Dvādaśī

Kalyāṇinī) Vow and the Anangadāna-Vrata (with a Courtesan-Conduct Discourse

Devanagari script

वेश्यानामपि यो धर्मस्तं नो ब्रूहि तपोधन । कथयिष्ये वदत्तासां यद्दाल्भ्यश्चैकितायनः

Transliteration

veśyānāmapi yo dharmastaṃ no brūhi tapodhana | kathayiṣye vadattāsāṃ yaddālbhyaścaikitāyanaḥ

Translation

Oh tesoro de austeridad, dinos la norma de conducta que rige incluso para las cortesanas. Yo relataré lo que Dālbhya y Caikitāyana declararon acerca de ellas.

Word by Word

• वेश्यानाम्: of courtesans
• वेश्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेश्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• यः: which/that (dharma)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• धर्मः: duty/law
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) बहुवचन-रूपम्; अत्र सम्प्रदानार्थे (to us)

• ब्रूहि: tell/say
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तपोधन: O ascetic (wealth of tapas)
• तपोधन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (तपः एव धनम् यस्य = whose wealth is austerity)

• कथयिष्ये: I will narrate
• कथयिष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिच्-रूपः)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• वदत्: O one who speaks
• वदत्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; (हे वदत् = O speaker)

• तासाम्: of those (women)
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• यत्: what/that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• दाल्भ्यः: Dālbhyā (sage)
• दाल्भ्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाल्भ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ऋषिनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एकितायनः: Ekitāyana (sage)
• एकितायनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकितायन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ऋषिनाम

Speaker

Narrator/sage addressing another ascetic (tapodhana); specific names not explicit in this single verse

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: वेश्यानाम्+अपि → वेश्यानामपि; धर्मः+तम् → धर्मस्तम्; तम्+नः → तं नो; यत्+दाल्भ्यः+च+एकितायनः → यद्दाल्भ्यश्चैकितायनः.

Characters & Entities

• Dālbhya
• Caikitāyana

FAQs

What is the main topic introduced in this verse?

It introduces a discussion on dharma (ethical conduct) specifically as it applies to veśyās (courtesans), framed as an authoritative teaching attributed to sages Dālbhya and Caikitāyana.

Does this verse itself prescribe rules, or does it set up a teaching?

It primarily sets up the teaching: the speaker asks for the dharma to be explained and promises to narrate what earlier sages stated.

What ethical lesson is implied by mentioning “even courtesans” in relation to dharma?

It implies that dharma is not limited to a single class or life-situation; moral responsibility and norms of conduct are discussed as applicable across social roles.