Shloka 6

महोदर-वाक्यं कुम्भकर्ण-प्रतिषेधः

Mahodara’s Counsel and the Critique of Kumbhakarna’s Solo Assault

Devanagari script

यांस्तुधर्मार्थकामांस्त्वंब्रवीषिपृथगाश्रयान् ।अवबोद्धुंस्वभावेतान्नहिलक्षणमस्तितान् ।।।।

Transliteration

yāṃs tu dharmārthakāmāṃs tvaṃ bravīṣi pṛthagāśrayān | avaboddhuṃ svabhāve tān na hi lakṣaṇam asti tān ||

Translation

ສ່ວນ ທັມມະ (dharma), ອັດຖະ (artha) ແລະ ກາມະ (kāma) ນັ້ນ ທ່ານເວົ້າວ່າອາໄສຖານທີ່ແຍກກັນ ແລະບໍ່ກົງກັນ; ແຕ່ໃນສະພາບແທ້ ບໍ່ມີເຄື່ອງໝາຍໃດທີ່ກຳນົດໃຫ້ມັນແຍກຂາດຈາກກັນຢ່າງສິ້ນເຊີງ.

Word by Word

• yān: those whom/which
• yān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन); relative pronoun (यद्)

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle/conjunction (निपात)

• dharma-artha-kāmān: dharma, artha, and kāma
• dharma-artha-kāmān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व समास

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuzmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• bravīṣi: you say
• bravīṣi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Parasmaipada

• pṛthak: separately
• pṛthak: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• āśrayān: as having bases/grounds
• āśrayān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• avaboddhum: to understand
• avaboddhum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava√budh (धातु)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्/तुमर्थ), ‘to understand/know’

• svabhāve: in (their) true nature
• svabhāve: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; ‘in (their) nature’

• tān: those
• tān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; demonstrative pronoun

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निपात)

• lakṣaṇam: a defining mark/characteristic
• lakṣaṇam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• asti: exists
• asti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; Parasmaipada

• tān: for those (as such)
• tān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

Context

"The virtues, worldly gain and sensuous pleasures give results separately as you said. They are incompatible with what you said and that it is its nature you said. what is the proof?"

Characters & Entities

• dharma
• artha
• kāma

FAQs

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

It cautions against simplistic moral compartmentalization: dharma, artha, and kāma interrelate, and dharma must guide the pursuit of artha and kāma rather than being treated as wholly separate.

What is the narrative situation?

A debate on policy and values unfolds in the Rakshasa court, examining whether life-goals (dharma/artha/kāma) are separable or mutually conditioning.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Discriminative wisdom (viveka): the ability to analyze doctrines carefully rather than asserting rigid categories.