Sutra 4

Devanagari script

व्यस्यत्येनं श्रेयस इति व्यसनम् ॥ कZ_०८.१.०४ ॥

Transliteration

vyasyatyenaṃ śreyasa iti vyasanam

Translation

इसे ‘व्यसन’ इसलिए कहते हैं कि यह व्यक्ति/राज्य को कल्याण और लाभ (श्रेयस) से भटका देता है।

Word by Word

• व्यस्यति: (it) ruins / throws into disorder / brings to destruction
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यस्
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमा-पुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: व्यस् (विनाशे/विक्षेपे)

• एनम्: him / it (the person)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग (एनम् = him/it)

• श्रेयसः: from welfare / from the better course / from prosperity
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (ablative)

• इति: thus; (so) called
• Type: Particle
• Root: इति
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरणार्थक

• व्यसनम्: calamity; misfortune; ruinous vice/addiction
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यसन
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

Entities Mentioned

• śreyas (welfare)

More Details

FAQs

Why define calamity by its effect on śreyas?

It anchors crisis evaluation to outcomes: a condition is a ‘calamity’ if it diverts the state from welfare, stability, and advantage—even if it seems minor.

How does this help prioritization?

It ranks issues by their capacity to derail core objectives, not by their visibility or political noise.