Shloka 6

अलर्कोपाख्यानम् — Indriya-Nigraha and Yogic Victory

Mahābhārata 14.30

Devanagari script

यदिदं चापलात्‌ कर्म सर्वान्‌ मर्त्याश्विकीर्षति । मन: प्रति सुतीक्ष्णाग्रानहं मोक्ष्यामि सायकान्‌,यह मन चंचलताके कारण सभी मनुष्योंसे तरह-तरहके कर्म कराता है, अतः अब मैं मनपर ही तीखे बाणोंका प्रहार करूँगा

Transliteration

yad idaṁ cāpalāt karma sarvān martyān aśikīrṣati | manaḥ prati sutīkṣṇāgrān ahaṁ mokṣyāmi sāyakān ||

Translation

Alarka said: “Since this mind, through its fickleness, drives all mortals into action of every kind, I shall now aim my arrows at the mind itself—sharp-pointed missiles directed against the very source of restless doing.”

Word by Word

• yat: that which
• yat: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: yad
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• idam: this
• idam: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: idam
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• cāpalāt: from fickleness / due to restlessness
• cāpalāt: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāpala
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• karma: action, deed
• karma: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• sarvān: all
• sarvān: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• martyān: mortals, humans
• martyān: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• kīrṣati: makes (them) do / impels to do
• kīrṣati: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• manaḥ: mind
• manaḥ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• prati: towards, against
• prati: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati

• su-tīkṣṇa-agrān: very sharp-pointed
• su-tīkṣṇa-agrān: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + tīkṣṇa + agra
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• aham: I
• aham: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: asmad
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• mokṣyāmi: I will release / shoot
• mokṣyāmi: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc
• Form: Future (Lṛṭ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• sāyakān: arrows
• sāyakān: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāyaka
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

अलर्क उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Alarka
• mind (manaḥ)
• arrows (sāyakāḥ)
• mortals (martyāḥ)