Shloka 18

ताराविलापः

Tara’s Lament and Counsel after Vali’s Fall

Devanagari script

पुत्रेण मम किं कार्यं राज्येनच किमात्मना।कपिसिंहे महाभागे तस्मिन्भर्तरि नश्यति।।

Transliteration

putreṇa mama kiṃ kāryaṃ rājyena ca kim ātmanā | kapisiṃhe mahābhāge tasmin bhartari naśyati ||

Translation

「我が栄えある夫君――猿の中の獅子ヴァーリーが滅びゆく今、子も王国も、まして我が命さえ、何の役に立ちましょうか。」

Word by Word

• putreṇa: by/with a son
• putreṇa: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• mama: for me/of me
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular) — pronoun

• kim: what?
• kim: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Interrogative—purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); interrogative used idiomatically

• kāryam: use/need
• kāryam: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• rājyena: with a kingdom
• rājyena: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and/even
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• kim: what?
• kim: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Interrogative—purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• ātmanā: with (my) life/self
• ātmanā: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• kapisiṃhe: when the lion among monkeys
• kapisiṃhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapi + siṃha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समासः: कपीनां सिंहः (lion among monkeys)

• mahābhāge: glorious/noble
• mahābhāge: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय-समासः: महान् भागः यस्य

• tasmin: in/when he
• tasmin: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhartari: in (my) husband
• bhartari: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• naśyati: perishes/is dying
• naśyati: Kriyā (क्रिया/Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: naś (नश् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

Context

'Now that the glorious Vali, a lion among monkeys, my husband is dying, of what purpose is the son, or the kingdom or my own life?

Characters & Entities

• Tārā
• Vāli
• Aṅgada (implied by ‘son’)
• kingdom (rājya)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Satya about impermanence and attachment: power and succession are secondary when confronted with the immediate truth of death and grief.

What is the narrative situation?

Tārā rejects political proposals for immediate coronation, overwhelmed by the imminent loss of Vāli.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Marital fidelity and emotional honesty—she speaks truthfully from sorrow rather than calculation.