Shloka 172

Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala

Sanskrit

हा वत्स ! हा पुत्र ! शिशो ! इत्येवं वदती मुहुः ।

कृशा विवर्णा विमनाः पांशुध्वस्तशिरोरुहा ॥

Transliteration

hā vatsa! hā putra! śiśo! ity evaṃ vadatī muhuḥ / kṛśā vivarṇā vimanāḥ pāṃśudhvastaśiroruhā

Translation

“Aduhai anak sapihku! Aduhai putraku! Wahai anak!” demikian ia meratap berulang-ulang. Ia kurus, pucat, putus asa; rambut kepalanya kotor dan berdebu, terurai berantakan.

Word by Word

• हा: alas!
• हा: सम्बोधन (Vocative exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हा (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधनार्थक अव्यय (interjection of lament)

• वत्स: dear child
• वत्स: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• हा: alas!
• हा: सम्बोधन (Vocative exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हा (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधनार्थक अव्यय

• पुत्र: son
• पुत्र: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• शिशो: O infant/child
• शिशो: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (ओ-सम्बोधन)

• इति: thus
• इति: सम्बन्ध (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• एवम्: in this way
• एवम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• वदती: speaking, saying
• वदती: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: क्रियाविशेषण (Frequency adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (repeatedly)

• कृशा: emaciated
• कृशा: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (स्त्री—भार्या)

• विवर्णा: pale, discolored
• विवर्णा: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• विमनाः: downcast, dejected
• विमनाः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; -अस् अन्त; विशेषण

• पांशुध्वस्तशिरोरुहा: whose hair is disheveled with dust
• पांशुध्वस्तशिरोरुहा: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पांशु-ध्वस्त-शिरोरुह (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: (पांशुना ध्वस्ताः शिरोरुहाः यस्याः)

Speakers

• Narrative voice (describing the queen’s lament)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "karuna", "secondaryRasa": "bhakti", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Śoka (grief)
• Lamentation formulae
• Embodied suffering
• Mortality

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The Purāṇic narrative legitimizes grief while also revealing its consuming power; the detailed bodily markers of sorrow teach vairāgya (dispassion) by showing the inevitable vulnerability of human bonds.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Carita/didactic narration; it serves the moral arc of the episode rather than cosmological or genealogical cataloging.

What is the esoteric significance?

The repeated cries (‘hā…hā…’) are a mantra-like negative echo: the mind circles loss; dust in the hair signifies the collapse of royal saṃskāra (refinement) into elemental reality (pṛthvī), a return to the ground.