Shloka 5
Adhyaya 72 — Mahishasura's Rise
Sanskrit
राजोवाच न भक्षिताऽऽ मे दयिता श्वापदैः सा हि जीवति ।
अविदूषितचारित्रा कथमेतत्करोम्यहम् ॥
Transliteration
rājovāca na bhakṣitā me dayitā śvāpadaiḥ sā hi jīvati | avidūṣitacāritrā katham etat karomy aham ||
Translation
王は言った。「我が愛しき者は獣に食われてはいない。彼女は生きている。彼女の行いは汚れがない――どうして私がそれ（他の妻を迎えること）をできようか。」
Word by Word
rājāthe king
rājā:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootrājan (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
uvācasaid
uvāca:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
nanot
na:
Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormNegation particle (निषेध-अव्यय)
bhakṣitādevoured
bhakṣitā:
Kriyā (क्रिया; passive predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootbhakṣ (धातु)
FormPast passive participle (क्त/कृदन्त), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
memy
me:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (सर्वनाम), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन)
dayitābeloved (wife)
dayitā:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdayitā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
śvāpadaiḥby wild beasts
śvāpadaiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootśvāpadá (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन)
sāshe
sā:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormDemonstrative pronoun (तद्), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
hiindeed
hi:
Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
FormParticle (निपात), indeed
jīvatilives
jīvati:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootjīv (धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
avidūṣita-cāritrāof untainted conduct
avidūṣita-cāritrā:
Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Roota-vidūṣita + cāritra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); विशेषण of सा/dayitā
kathamhow?
katham:
Prashna (प्रश्न)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkatham (अव्यय)
FormInterrogative adverb (प्रश्न-क्रियाविशेषण)
etatthis
etat:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootetad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (एतद्), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)
karomido
karomi:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootkṛ (धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
ahamI
aham:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (सर्वनाम), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
Speakers
King to Brāhmaṇa
Key Themes
Marital fidelityEthics of remarriageRoyal responsibilityProtection of chastity (śīla)
FAQs
Dharma is tethered to truth of circumstances: if the wife lives and is chaste, abandoning her becomes ethically untenable. The king appeals to moral constraint rather than convenience.
Anucarita: dharma-case reasoning dramatized through dialogue in a Manvantara narrative.
Unblemished conduct (śīla) represents inner purity; the king’s inability to ‘replace’ it points to the irreplaceability of authentic virtue once recognized.