Shloka 3

Adhyaya 16 — Surya's Dynasty

Sanskrit

पुत्र उवाच यदि मद्वचनं तात श्रद्धधास्यविशङ्कितः ।

तत् परित्यज्य गार्हस्थ्यं वानप्रस्थपरो भव ॥

Transliteration

putra uvāca yadi mad-vacanaṃ tāta śraddadhāsy aviśaṅkitaḥ |

tat parityajya gārhasthyaṃ vānaprastha-paro bhava ||

Translation

പുത്രൻ പറഞ്ഞു—പിതാവേ, എന്റെ വാക്കുകൾ സംശയമില്ലാതെ വിശ്വസിക്കുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ, ഗൃഹസ്ഥാശ്രമം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് വാനപ്രസ്ഥധർമ്മത്തിൽ ഭക്തനാകുക.

Word by Word

• पुत्रः: the son
• पुत्रः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• मत्-वचनम्: my word/statement
• मत्-वचनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): 'मम वचनम्'

• तात: O father
• तात: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• श्रद्धधासि: you will believe/trust
• श्रद्धधासि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रद्-धा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अविशङ्कितः: without doubt, unhesitating
• अविशङ्कितः: Kartṛ-sāmānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानाधिकरण/subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविशङ्कित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वि-शङ्क् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) with privative अ-; विशेषण (qualifying the listener 'त्वम्')

• तत्: that (i.e., it)
• तत्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया/preceding action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), 'having abandoned'

• गार्हस्थ्यम्: householder life
• गार्हस्थ्यम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्हस्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वानप्रस्थ-परः: devoted to the forest-dweller stage
• वानप्रस्थ-परः: Kartṛ-sāmānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वानप्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'वानप्रस्थे परः' (devoted to the forest-dweller stage)

• भव: be
• भव: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speakers

• Son instructing his father (putra → pitā) within a didactic dialogue

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "bhakti", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Yoga
• Moksha
• Āśrama-dharma
• Renunciation (vairāgya)
• Discipline (niyama)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The passage frames liberation as requiring a decisive reorientation of life: not merely adding practices to worldly life, but reducing entanglement by moving toward renunciation and disciplined simplicity.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily outside the pañcalakṣaṇa historical-cosmological core; it belongs to dharma/upadeśa material (ethical-philosophical instruction) often embedded in Purāṇas alongside sarga/manvantara narratives.

What is the esoteric significance?

“Forest-dwelling” functions symbolically as inner withdrawal: moving from external supports (social identity, possessions) toward a mind stabilized in solitude and clarity.