Shloka 46
Adhyaya 18 — Alarka's Story
Sanskrit
शivikāyāṃ समारोप्य सहिताः दैत्यदानवाः ।
शिरः सु शivikāṃ कृत्वा स्वस्थानाभिमुखं ययुः ॥
Transliteration
śivikāyāṃ samāropya sahitā daityadānavāḥ | śiraḥ su śivikāṃ kṛtvā svasthānābhimukhaṃ yayuḥ ||
Translation
അവളെ പല്ലക്കിൽ ഇരുത്തി, ദൈത്യദാനവർ ഒരുമിച്ച് അത് തലയിൽ ചുമന്ന് തങ്ങളുടെ സ്ഥാനത്തേക്ക് പോയി।
Word by Word
śivikāyāmon the palanquin
śivikāyām:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeNoun
Rootśivikā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
samāropyahaving placed (her)
samāropya:
Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootsam-ā-rop (आ-रुह्/आरोपयति)
Formक्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having placed upon’
sahitāḥtogether
sahitāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeAdjective
Rootsahita (सह्-धातु, क्त-कृदन्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘together/associated’
daitya-dānavāḥDaityas and Dānavas
daitya-dānavāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootdaitya (प्रातिपदिक) + dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः
śiraḥhead
śiraḥ:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootśiras (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
suwell/indeed
su:
Nipāta (निपात/Emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsu (अव्यय)
Formउपसर्ग/निपातः (intensifier: well/very)
śivikāmpalanquin
śivikām:
Karma (कर्म/Object complement)
TypeNoun
Rootśivikā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
kṛtvāhaving made
kṛtvā:
Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootkṛ (धातु)
Formक्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)
sva-sthāna-abhimukhamtowards their own place
sva-sthāna-abhimukham:
Karma (कर्म/Object: direction)
TypeAdjective
Rootsva (प्रातिपदिक) + sthāna (प्रातिपदिक) + abhimukha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (svasthānasya abhimukham)
yayuḥwent
yayuḥ:
Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootyā (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्
Speakers
Garga (narrator)
Shakti Aspects
Not applicable
Key ThemesCarrying away (haraṇa)Group complicityApproaching consequence
FAQs
The verse emphasizes collective participation: adharma is not only the leader’s fault but the group’s. Bearing on the head ironically foreshadows the ‘burden’ of sin and its karmic weight.
Narrative ethics; not a cosmological/genealogical unit.
To ‘carry on the head’ what one does not deserve symbolizes the mind elevating a stolen object to the status of ultimate value—an inversion that precipitates downfall.