Shloka 16

Vasiṣṭhasya śokaḥ, Vipāśā–Śatadrū-nāmākaraṇam, Kalmāṣapādasya bhaya-prasaṅgaḥ (Ādi Parva 167)

Devanagari script

तदपश्यमहं भ्रातुरसाम्प्रतमनुव्रजन्‌ । विमर्श संकरादाने नायं कुर्यात्‌ कदाचन

Transliteration

tad apaśyam ahaṃ bhrātur asāmpratam anuvrajan | vimarśa saṅkarādāne nāyaṃ kuryāt kadācana ||

Translation

私は兄の後を追っていたので、彼が今しがた行った不相応な振る舞いを見てしまった。混じりけあるものを受け取ることを思い巡らし、こう考えた。「彼は決して、こんなことをしてはならぬ――しかるべき分別もなく、穢れを招くものを受け取るなど。」

Word by Word

• तत्: that (act/thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अपश्यम्: I saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: Common, Nominative, Singular

• भ्रातुः: of (my) brother
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• असाम्प्रतम्: improper, unworthy
• असाम्प्रतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असाम्प्रत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अनुव्रजन्: following (after)
• अनुव्रजन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-√व्रज्
• Form: Śatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विमर्शम्: reflection, consideration
• विमर्शम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमर्श
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• संकरादाने: in taking/accepting impure (mixed/defiled) things
• संकरादाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संकर-आदान
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अयम्: this (man/person)
• अयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कुर्यात्: should do / would do
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ
• Form: Optative (Liṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कदाचन: ever, at any time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (speaker)
• भ्राता (brother)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should not accept or engage with what is impure or morally tainted without careful discernment; ethical conduct includes vigilance about what one takes in or associates with.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Brahmin narrator, walking behind his brother, observes a questionable act and internally reasons that such acceptance of a defiling object is out of character and should never be done.