Shloka 15
Vasiṣṭhasya śokaḥ, Vipāśā–Śatadrū-nāmākaraṇam, Kalmāṣapādasya bhaya-prasaṅgaḥ (Ādi Parva 167)
Devanagari script
ज्येष्ठो भ्राता ममागृह्नाद् विचरन् गहने वने । अपरिज्ञातशौचायां भूमौ निपतितं फलम्
Transliteration
jyeṣṭho bhrātā mamāgṛhṇād vicarann gahane vane | aparijñātaśaucāyāṃ bhūmau nipatitaṃ phalam |
Translation
ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ പറഞ്ഞു— “എന്റെ ജ്യേഷ്ഠ സഹോദരൻ ഘനവനത്തിൽ സഞ്ചരിക്കുമ്പോൾ, ശൗചശുദ്ധി അറിയാത്ത ഭൂമിയിൽ വീണിരുന്ന ഒരു ഫലം എടുത്തെടുത്തു. ചെറുതായി തോന്നുന്ന ഈ പ്രവൃത്തി ധർമ്മസംശയം ഉണർത്തുന്നു— ശുദ്ധിയും അവകാശവും അനിശ്ചിതമായിടത്ത് അത് സ്വീകരിച്ച് ഭുജിക്കാമോ?”
Word by Word
ज्येष्ठःeldest
ज्येष्ठः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootज्येष्ठ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
भ्राताbrother
भ्राता:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootभ्रातृ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
ममof me / my
मम:
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormGenitive, Singular
अगृह्णात्took / seized
अगृह्णात्:
TypeVerb
Rootग्रह्
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
विचरन्wandering
विचरन्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootचर्
Formशतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
गहनेin a dense (place)
गहने:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootगहन
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
वनेin the forest
वने:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootवन
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
अपरिज्ञातशौचायाम्on (a ground) of unknown purity
अपरिज्ञातशौचायाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootअपरिज्ञातशौचा
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
भूमौon the ground
भूमौ:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootभूमि
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
निपतितम्fallen
निपतितम्:
TypeVerb
Rootनि-पत्
Formक्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Accusative, Singular
फलम्fruit
फलम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootफल
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
तत्that
तत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
अनन्तरम्afterwards / immediately after
अनन्तरम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअनन्तर
एकम्one
एकम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootएक
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
वर्षम्year
वर्षम्:
TypeNoun
Rootवर्ष
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
बीतनेhaving passed (after passing)
बीतने:
TypeVerb
Rootवि-इ (बी)
Formल्युट्/तुमुन्-प्राय (Hindi-influenced infinitival form; non-classical)
परafter
पर:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपर
द्विजश्रेष्ठःbest of the twice-born (brahmin)
द्विजश्रेष्ठः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootद्विजश्रेष्ठ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
उपयाजनेin/at the subsidiary sacrifice
उपयाजने:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootउपयाजन
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
उपयुक्तsuitable / appropriate
उपयुक्त:
TypeAdjective
Rootउप-युज्
Formक्त (past passive participle), Masculine/Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
अवसरoccasion
अवसर:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootअवसर
FormMasculine, Locative (intended) / Nominative (as written), Singular
परon / at
पर:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपर
मधुरsweet
मधुर:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootमधुर
FormFeminine (agreeing with वाणी), Instrumental (intended) / Locative (as written), Singular
वाणीspeech / words
वाणी:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootवाणी
FormFeminine, Instrumental (intended) / Nominative (as written), Singular
द्रपदfrom Drupada
द्रपद:
TypeProperNoun
Rootद्रुपद
FormMasculine, Ablative (intended) / Genitive (as written), Singular
सेto/with (Hindi 'se')
से:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootस (Hindi postposition)
कहाsaid
कहा:
TypeVerb
Rootकथ्
FormPerfect/Preterite (Hindi form; non-classical), 3rd, Singular
राजन्O king
राजन्:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
मेmy
मे:
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormGenitive, Singular
बड़ेelder/big (Hindi)
बड़े:
TypeAdjective
Rootबड़ा (Hindi)
भाईbrother (Hindi)
भाई:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootभ्राता/भ्रातृ (Hindi 'bhāī')
याजYāja (name)
याज:
Karta
TypeProperNoun
Rootयाज (proper name)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
एकonce
एक:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएक
समयtime
समय:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसमय
घनेin dense
घने:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootघन
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
वनforest
वन:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootवन
FormNeuter, Locative (intended) / Nominative (as written), Singular
मेंin (Hindi 'meṃ')
में:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमें (Hindi postposition)
विचरwas roaming
विचर:
TypeVerb
Rootचर्
FormImperfect/Present (Hindi narrative; non-classical), 3rd, Singular
रहेcontinued/was (Hindi auxiliary)
रहे:
TypeVerb
Rootरह् (Hindi)
थेwere (Hindi)
थे:
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (Hindi 'थे')
उन्होंनेhe (ergative, Hindi)
उन्होंने:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootस (Hindi pronoun)
एकa
एक:
TypeAdjective
Rootएक
ऐसीsuch (Hindi)
ऐसी:
TypeAdjective
Rootऐसा (Hindi)
जमीनground (Hindi)
जमीन:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootभूमि/जमीन (Hindi)
परon
पर:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपर
गिरेfallen (Hindi)
गिरे:
TypeVerb
Rootनि-पत् (Hindi participial)
हुएhaving been (Hindi)
हुए:
TypeVerb
Rootभू (Hindi participial)
फलfruit
फल:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootफल
कोobject marker (Hindi)
को:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootको (Hindi postposition)
उठाpicked up (Hindi)
उठा:
TypeVerb
Rootउद्-स्था/उत्-हृ (Hindi 'uṭhā')
लियाtook (Hindi)
लिया:
TypeVerb
Rootलभ्/ग्रह् (Hindi auxiliary)
जिसकीwhose (Hindi)
जिसकी:
TypePronoun
Rootयद् (Hindi relative)
शुद्धिpurity
शुद्धि:
TypeNoun
Rootशुद्धि
केof (Hindi)
के:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootके (Hindi postposition)
सम्बन्धrelation/regarding
सम्बन्ध:
TypeNoun
Rootसम्बन्ध
मेंin (Hindi)
में:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमें (Hindi postposition)
कुछanything/something
कुछ:
TypePronoun
Rootकिञ्चित् (Hindi 'kuch')
भीeven/also
भी:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (Hindi 'bhī')
पताknowledge/info (Hindi)
पता:
TypeNoun
Rootज्ञात (Hindi 'patā')
नहींnot (Hindi)
नहीं:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (Hindi 'nahīṃ')
थाwas (Hindi)
था:
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (Hindi 'thā')
Speaker
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Characters & Entities
ब
ब्राह्मण (the Brahmin speaker)ज
ज्येष्ठ भ्राता (eldest brother)व
वन (dense forest)भ
भूमि (ground/soil)फ
फल (fallen fruit)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds śauca (purity) and moral caution: when the cleanliness or rightful status of something (especially food) is uncertain, a dharmic person should be careful about accepting it, since small lapses can have ethical and ritual consequences.
A Brahmin recounts an incident about his elder brother: while wandering in a dense forest, the brother picked up a fruit that had fallen on ground of unknown purity, setting up a discussion about proper conduct and the implications of taking what is not clearly permissible.