Shloka 47

अम्बा–राम–भीष्म संवादः

Amba–Rama–Bhishma Dialogue on Vow and Refuge

Devanagari script

अयं चापि विशुद्धात्मन्‌ पुराणे श्रूयते विभो । मरुत्तेन महाबुद्धे गीत: श्लोको महात्मना,“विशुद्ध हृदयवाले परम बुद्धिमान्‌ राम! पुराणमें महात्मा मरुत्तके द्वारा कहा हुआ यह श्लोक सुननेमें आता है कि यदि गुरु भी गर्वमें आकर कर्तव्य और अकर्तव्यको न समझते हुए कुपथका आश्रय ले तो उसका परित्याग कर दिया जाता है

Transliteration

ayaṃ cāpi viśuddhātman purāṇe śrūyate vibho | maruttena mahābuddhe gītaḥ śloko mahātmanā |

Translation

ಓ ವಿಶುದ್ಧಾತ್ಮನೇ, ಓ ವಿಭೋ! ಪುರಾಣಪರಂಪರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇದೂ ಕೇಳಿಬರುತ್ತದೆ—ಓ ಮಹಾಬುದ್ಧಿ ರಾಮ, ಮಹಾತ್ಮ ಮರುತ್ತನು ಹಾಡಿದ ಶ್ಲೋಕವಿದು. ಅದರ ತಾತ್ಪರ್ಯ: ಗುರು ಕೂಡ ಅಹಂಕಾರದಿಂದ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯ–ಅಕರ್ತವ್ಯ ವಿವೇಕವನ್ನು ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಕುಪಥವನ್ನು ಆಶ್ರಯಿಸಿದರೆ, ಅವನನ್ನು ತ್ಯಜಿಸಬೇಕು.

Word by Word

• {'ayam': 'this (statement/verse)', 'ca api': 'and also

• moreover', 'viśuddhātman': 'O pure-souled one (vocative)', 'purāṇe': 'in the Purāṇa

• in ancient tradition', 'śrūyate': 'is heard

• is traditionally reported', 'vibho': 'O mighty one

• O lord (vocative)', 'maruttena': 'by Marutta (instrumental)', 'mahābuddhe': 'O great-minded/very wise one (vocative)', 'gītaḥ': 'sung

• uttered (as a verse)', 'ślokaḥ': 'verse

• stanza', 'mahātmanā': 'by the great-souled one (instrumental)'}

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Marutta
• Purāṇa (ancient tradition)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral authority is conditional on dharma: even a teacher or elder is not to be followed if pride leads him to abandon right conduct and lose discernment of duty versus non-duty; one should withdraw allegiance from such a path.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rāma cites an older, Purāṇa-sourced saying attributed to the great king Marutta, invoking traditional precedent to support an ethical point about when it is proper to renounce guidance that has turned unrighteous.