Shloka 26

Adhyaya 26 — Madālasa Names Alarka and Reorients Him Toward Kshatriya Duty

Sanskrit

करोषि किमिदं मूढे ! ममाभावाय सन्ततेः ।

दुष्टावबोधदानेन यथापूर्वं सुतेषु मे ॥

Transliteration

karoṣi kim idaṃ mūḍhe! mamābhāvāya santateḥ / duṣṭāvabodha-dānena yathāpūrvaṃ suteṣu me //

Translation

ಓ ಮೂರ್ಖನೇ, ನೀನು ಏನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೀಯೆ—ನನ್ನ ವಂಶದ ಉಚ್ಛೇದವನ್ನುಂಟುಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೀಯಾ? ಹಿಂದೆ ನನ್ನ ಪುತ್ರರಿಗೆ ನೀನು ಕೊಟ್ಟಂತೆ ಈಗಲೂ ವಕ್ರವಾದ ಉಪದೇಶವನ್ನು ನೀಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೀಯೆ!

Word by Word

• करोषि: you do/make
• करोषि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; धातु: कृ

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; interrogative pronoun

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• मूढे: O deluded one
• मूढे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; personal pronoun

• अभावाय: for (my) non-existence/destruction
• अभावाय: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन

• सन्ततेः: of progeny/lineage
• सन्ततेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्तति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• दुष्ट-अवबोध-दानॆन: by giving wicked instruction/understanding
• दुष्ट-अवबोध-दानॆन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + अवबोध (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दुष्टस्य अवबोधः) + तत्पुरुष (अवबोधस्य दानम्)

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/रीति-अर्थे (as/just as)

• पूर्वम्: formerly, before
• पूर्वम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे नपुंसक-एकवचन-प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (formerly/before)

• सुतेषु: among/with the sons
• सुतेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), बहुवचन

• मे: my / of me
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; enclitic form

Speakers

• Jaḍa (husband/king) addressing Queen Madālasā (within the embedded narrative)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Householder/royal duty
• Lineage and social order
• Ethical instruction

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse frames a dharmic tension: renunciatory teaching given prematurely to heirs can undermine worldly responsibilities (rāja-dharma, family continuity). The critique is not of knowledge itself, but of mis-timed instruction that disrupts prescribed stages and duties.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily falls under Vaṃśa/Anucarita (dynastic/narrative instruction) rather than Sarga/Pratisarga/Manvantara. It is an ethical-illustrative episode embedded in the Purāṇic narrative.

What is the esoteric significance?

Symbolically, ‘perverse instruction’ indicates knowledge divorced from adhikāra (readiness). True teaching must match the recipient’s stage; otherwise, it becomes a force of ‘dissolution’ (pralaya) within social and personal order.