Shloka 10

Devanagari script

स कदाचित्क्षुधार्तस्य ममाहाराभिकाङ्क्षिणः।गतसूर्येऽहनि प्राप्तो मम पुत्रो ह्यनामिषः।।।।

Transliteration

sa kadācit kṣudhārtasya mamāhārābhikāṅkṣiṇaḥ | gatasūrye 'hani prāpto mama putro hy anāmiṣaḥ || 4.59.10 ||

Translation

ある時、飢えに苦しみ食を求めていた私のもとへ、息子が日没後に戻って来た――しかし肉は何も携えていなかった。

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular

• kadācit: once
• kadācit: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb of time (कालवाचक)

• kṣudhā-ārtasya: of me, afflicted by hunger
• kṣudhā-ārtasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣudhā (प्रातिपदिक) + ārta (कृदन्त; √ṛ/ard? here ārta as adjective ‘afflicted’)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘afflicted by hunger’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies mama (me)

• mama: of me; my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Genitive (6), Singular

• āhāra-abhikāṅkṣiṇaḥ: of me, longing for food
• āhāra-abhikāṅkṣiṇaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āhāra (प्रातिपदिक) + abhikāṅkṣin (कृदन्त; abhi-√kāṅkṣ काङ्क्ष्)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa ‘desiring food’; abhikāṅkṣin = present participial adjective (शतृ/agent-noun like) from abhi-√kāṅkṣ; Masculine, Genitive (6), Singular; qualifies mama (me)

• gata-sūrye: when the sun had set
• gata-sūrye: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gata (कृदन्त; √gam गम्) + sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Locative absolute (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध/सप्तमी-absolute): ‘when the sun had set’; Neuter/Masculine Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• ahani: on the day
• ahani: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• prāptaḥ: arrived
• prāptaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prāpta (कृदन्त; pra-√āp आप्)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/PPP) of pra-√āp ‘to reach/arrive’; Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; predicate with putraḥ

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Genitive (6), Singular

• putraḥ: son
• putraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle (emphasis/causal)

• anāmiṣaḥ: without meat
• anāmiṣaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an- (उपसर्ग/नञ्) + āmiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nañ-tatpuruṣa (नञ्-तत्पुरुष) as negative formation ‘without meat’; Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; qualifies putraḥ

Context

'Once my son came to me without meat after sunset while I was feeling hungry for food.

Characters & Entities

• Sampāti
• Sampāti’s son

FAQs

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

Dharma under scarcity: the verse frames a truthful account of deprivation, preparing for a lesson about restraint, duty, and right conduct even when hungry.

What is the narrative situation?

Sampāti begins a backstory: while he was hungry, his son returned empty-handed after sunset, prompting an explanation.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Endurance (kṣamā/śakti): Sampāti survives hardship and narrates it clearly, without distortion.