Shloka 63

Adhyaya 57 — The Ninefold Divisions of Bharata: Mountains, Rivers, and Peoples

Sanskrit

अपि मानुष्यमाप्स्यामो देवत्वात् प्रच्युताः क्षितौ । मनुष्यः कुरुते तत्तु यन्न शक्यं सुरासुरैः ॥

Transliteration

api mānuṣyam āpsyāmo devatvāt pracyutāḥ kṣitau | manuṣyaḥ kurute tat tu yan na śakyaṃ surāsuraiḥ ||

Translation

(Ils se disent :) «Puissions-nous obtenir une naissance humaine, après être déchus de la condition divine sur la terre !». Car l’être humain accomplit ce qui n’est pas possible aux dieux et aux asuras.

Word by Word

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

• मानुष्यम्: human state/humanity
• मानुष्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन

• आप्स्यामः: we shall obtain
• आप्स्यामः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• देवत्वात्: from godhood
• देवत्वात्: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), पञ्चमी (Abl. 5), एकवचन

• प्रच्युताः: fallen down
• प्रच्युताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-च्युत (कृदन्त; च्यु (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of implied ‘वयम्’)

• क्षितौ: on earth
• क्षितौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), सप्तमी (Loc. 7), एकवचन

• मनुष्यः: a human
• मनुष्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• शक्यम्: possible
• शक्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (कृदन्त; शक् (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (potential/gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• सुरासुरैः: by gods and demons
• सुरासुरैः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया (Instr. 3), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

Speakers

• Frame dialogue context; speaker not explicit in given excerpt (reported thought/statement about devas)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Devas (collective)
• Asuras (collective)

Key Themes

• Human birth
• Spiritual striving
• Karma
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The human condition uniquely enables decisive self-transformation—through vow, renunciation, knowledge, and disciplined action—so one should treat human life as a rare instrument.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Karmic and manvantara-oriented teaching: it explains relative capacities across lokas and species, reinforcing the Purāṇic moral architecture of the cosmos.

What is the esoteric significance?

Gods and asuras symbolize enjoyment and power; the human symbolizes the ‘middle path’ where suffering and insight can catalyze liberation-oriented effort.