Shloka 87

Ādi-parva Adhyāya 3 — Janamejaya’s Rite, Dhaumya’s Parīkṣā, and Uttanka’s Kuṇḍala Quest (सर्पसत्रप्रस्तावना–गुरुपरीक्षा–उत्तङ्कोपाख्यान)

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तस्ता: स्त्रिय: प्रत्युवाच न मया स्त्रीणां वचनादिदमकार्य करणीयम्‌ । न हाहमुपाध्यायेन संदिष्टोडकार्यमपि त्वया कार्यमिति,यह सुनकर उत्तंकने उत्तर दिया--'मैं स्त्रियोंक कहनेसे यह न करनेयोग्य निन्द्य कर्म नहीं कर सकता। उपाध्यायने मुझे ऐसी आज्ञा नहीं दी है कि “तुम न करनेयोग्य कार्य भी कर डालना”

Transliteration

evam uktās tāḥ striyaḥ pratyuvāca—na mayā strīṇāṃ vacanād idaṃ akāryaṃ karaṇīyam | na hi aham upādhyāyena saṃdiṣṭo ’kāryam api tvayā kāryam iti |

Translation

When the women spoke to him in this way, he replied: “I cannot, merely at the bidding of women, commit what is improper and blameworthy. My teacher has not instructed me, ‘Even what ought not to be done must be done by you.’”

Word by Word

• {'evam': 'thus, in this manner', 'uktāḥ': 'having been spoken to

• addressed', 'tāḥ striyaḥ': 'those women', 'pratyuvāca': 'replied

• answered back', 'na mayā': 'not by me

• I will not', 'strīṇām vacanāt': 'from/at the words of women

• on their say-so', 'idam': 'this', 'akāryam': 'what should not be done

• improper act', 'karaṇīyam': 'to be done

• something one should do', 'na hi': 'indeed not

• certainly not', 'upādhyāyena': 'by the teacher/preceptor', 'saṃdiṣṭaḥ': 'commanded

• instructed', 'api': 'even', 'tvayā': 'by you

• for you', 'kāryam': 'to be done

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Uttanka
• women
• Upadhyaya (teacher/preceptor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should not perform an improper act merely due to social pressure or persuasion; true obligation is guided by dharma and legitimate instruction (especially from one’s teacher), not by inducement to wrongdoing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Uttanka is being urged by some women to do something he considers blameworthy. He refuses, stating that his teacher has not ordered him to commit an improper act, and therefore he will not do it.