Shloka 23

Adhyaya 65 — Svarocis Enjoys on the Mountain; A Debate on Marital Fidelity and Desire

Sanskrit

नाहं स्वरोचिस्तच्छीलो न चैवाहं सुलोचनाः ।

निर्लज्जा बहवः सन्ति तादृशास्तत्र गच्छतः ॥

Transliteration

nāhaṃ svarocis tacchīlo na caivāhaṃ sulocanāḥ |

nirlajjā bahavaḥ santi tādṛśās tatra gacchataḥ ||

Translation

« Je ne suis pas Svaroci, ni de cette sorte ; et je ne suis pas (fait) pour les femmes aux beaux yeux. Il existe bien des êtres sans pudeur—allez vers eux, vers ceux qui sont tels. »

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/उभयलिङ्ग-प्रयोग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 1st person pronoun

• sva-rocis: self-radiant/attractive
• sva-rocis: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + rocis (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'of/with one's own splendor' → 'self-lustrous/attractive' (predicate adjective)

• tat-śīlaḥ: of that sort (in character)
• tat-śīlaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + śīla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'of that nature/character' (predicate adjective)

• na: nor/not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

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

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• su-locanāḥ: O fair-eyed ones
• su-locanāḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (अव्यय) + locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, बहुवचन; addressing the does: 'O fair-eyed ones'

• nir-lajjāḥ: shameless (ones)
• nir-lajjāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir (उपसर्ग) + lajjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'shameless'

• bahavaḥ: many
• bahavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; qualifies nirlajjāḥ

• santi: are/exist
• santi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• tādṛśāḥ: such (as that)
• tādṛśāḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tādṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; predicate adjective referring to nirlajjāḥ

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place): 'there'

• gacchataḥ: of one who goes
• gacchataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु) → gacchat (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-वर्तमानकृदन्त, पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; genitive: 'of one who goes/going' (i.e., for one going there)

Speakers

• The deer addressing the does

Key Themes

• Moral discrimination
• Shame vs shamelessness
• Satirical critique of vice

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse distinguishes character from mere attractiveness: virtue refuses participation in shameless pursuit and points out that vice is plentiful—hence one must choose company carefully.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Not pañcalakṣaṇa; didactic nīti within a narrative exemplum.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Not of that type’ emphasizes svabhāva; spiritual progress depends on cultivating a sattvic identity that does not imitate lower patterns even when invited.