Shloka 11

Devanagari script

तत आयब्ययौ दृष्टवा समौ सममतिर्द्धिज: । सर्वथा प्राणिनां पीडामुपादानादमन्यत,तब समान बुद्धिवाले ब्रह्मर्षि अगस्त्यने उस विवरणमें आय और व्यय बराबर देखकर यह निश्चय किया कि इसमेंसे यदि थोड़ा-सा भी धन लिया जाय तो दूसरे प्राणियोंको सर्वथा कष्ट हो सकता है

Transliteration

tata āyavyayau dṛṣṭvā samau samamatir dvijaḥ | sarvathā prāṇināṁ pīḍām upādānād amanyata ||

Translation

Then the twice-born sage, whose mind was even and impartial, examined the income and expenditure and found them exactly equal. He concluded that taking even a small amount from it would, in some way, cause suffering to other living beings; therefore he resolved not to appropriate anything.

Word by Word

तत्that (thing)

आयव्ययौincome and expenditure

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

समौequal (both)

सममतिःone of even/steady judgment

द्विजःthe brahmin

सर्वथाin every way; entirely

प्राणिनाम्of living beings

पीडाम्pain; affliction

उपादानात्from taking/appropriating

अमन्यत्he thought; he concluded

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

dvija (a Brahmin sage)

prāṇin (living beings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ethical restraint: even seemingly minor appropriation can indirectly harm other beings; therefore a dharmic person practices non-possessiveness and avoids causing suffering through consumption or taking.

What is happening in the narrative?

A sage assesses a situation of resources by comparing income and expenditure, recognizes there is no surplus, and decides that taking anything would burden others; he therefore refrains from taking.