Shloka 63

Adhyaya 69 — The King’s Neglect of His Wife and the Restoration of Dharma

Sanskrit

भगवन् ! केन नीता सा पत्नी विप्रस्य कुत्र वा । अतीतानागतं वेत्ति जगत्यवितथं भवान् ॥

Transliteration

bhagavan! kena nītā sā patnī viprasya kutra vā / atītānāgataṃ vetti jagaty avitathaṃ bhavān

Translation

Vénérable seigneur, par qui l’épouse de ce brahmane a-t-elle été emmenée, et où ? Tu connais en vérité, sans erreur, ce qui est passé et ce qui doit encore advenir dans le monde.

Word by Word

• भगवन्: O venerable one
• भगवन्: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• केन: by whom
• केन: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; interrogative ‘by whom’

• नीता: taken, led away
• नीता: कर्तृविशेषण (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; predicate with ‘सा पत्नी’

• सा: she
• सा: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• पत्नी: wife
• पत्नी: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• विप्रस्य: of the brahmin
• विप्रस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• कुत्र: where
• कुत्र: देशाधिकरण (Locative of place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक अव्यय (interrogative adverb of place)

• वा: or
• वा: विकल्प (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• अतीत: the past
• अतीत: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; first member of द्वन्द्व with ‘अनागतम्’

• अनागतम्: the future
• अनागतम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनागत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; second member; together ‘past and future’ as object of ‘वेत्ति’

• वेत्ति: knows
• वेत्ति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• जगति: in the world
• जगति: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘in the world’

• अवितथम्: truly, unfailingly
• अवितथम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial accusative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवितथ (प्रातिपदिक: अ + वितथ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; adverbial accusative ‘truly, unfalsely’ modifying ‘वेत्ति’

• भवान्: you (honored sir)
• भवान्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; honorific pronoun

Speakers

• King to a ṛṣi (seer); Mārkaṇḍeya narrating the exchange

Key Themes

• Seer’s omniscience
• Seeking guidance
• Protection of dharma

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma-restoration often requires epistemic humility: the ruler must consult those with higher vision (ṛṣi) rather than act from impulse or limited knowledge.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Manvantara narrative with didactic intent; not sarga/pratisarga, but exemplary conduct within a time-cycle.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘past and future’ motif signals the Purāṇic ideal of ṛṣi as time-transcending witness—symbolically, awakened awareness that sees karmic causes and outcomes.