Shloka 12

Adhyaya 38 — Dattatreya on Non-Identification (Mamata) and the Path to Liberation

Sanskrit

यैस्तु सत्सङ्गपाषाणशितेन ममतातरुः ।

छिन्नो विद्याकुठारेण ते गतास्तेन वर्त्मना ॥

Transliteration

yaistu satsaṅgapāṣāṇaśitena mamatātaruḥ |

chinno vidyākuṭhāreṇa te gatāstena vartmanā ||

Translation

Mais ceux qui ont abattu l’arbre du « mien » à l’aide de la hache de la connaissance—affûtée sur la pierre de l’association avec les gens de bien—ont emprunté ce chemin même.

Word by Word

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• सत्सङ्गपाषाणशितेन: with the sharp whetstone of good company
• सत्सङ्गपाषाणशितेन: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्सङ्ग + पाषाण + शित (प्रातिपदिक; शित < √शा/√शि? ‘to sharpen’ as adjective ‘sharp’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—सत्सङ्गरूपेण पाषाणेन शितेन (instrumental-tatpuruṣa sense)

• ममता-तरुः: the tree of possessiveness
• ममता-तरुः: कर्म (Karma/Object; of cutting)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ममता + तरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—ममतायाḥ तरुः (genitive-tatpuruṣa)

• छिन्नः: cut down
• छिन्नः: क्रिया (Predicate; passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √छिद् (धातु) → छिन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘has been cut’

• विद्या-कुठारेण: with the axe of knowledge
• विद्या-कुठारेण: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या + कुठार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—विद्यारूपेण कुठारेण (instrumental-tatpuruṣa sense)

• ते: they
• ते: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• गताः: have gone
• गताः: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तरि—‘have gone’

• तेन: by that, through that
• तेन: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘by that/through that’

• वर्त्मना: path, way
• वर्त्मना: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

Speakers

• Teacher (a Brahman/ṛṣi) instructing King Alarka

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Satsaṅga
• Jnana (vidyā)
• Ego/possessiveness (mamatā)
• Liberation path

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Good company refines discernment; knowledge then becomes effective in removing possessiveness—the root of bondage.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Falls under ancillary instruction (upadeśa) rather than the five defining Purāṇic topics.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘tree’ indicates deep-rooted saṃskāras; ‘sharpening’ on satsaṅga suggests that mere information is blunt unless honed by lived proximity to realized or disciplined persons.