Shloka 19

Adhyaya 23 — The Brahmin and His Wife

Sanskrit

ऋतध्वज उवाच यदि सा मम तन्वङ्गी न स्याद्भार्या मदालसा ।

अस्मिन् जन्मनि नान्या मे भवित्री सहचारिणी ॥

Transliteration

ṛtadhvaja uvāca yadi sā mama tanvaṅgī na syād bhāryā madālasā / asmin janmani nānyā me bhavitrī sahacāriṇī

Translation

ഋതധ്വജൻ പറഞ്ഞു: ആ സുന്ദരസൂക്ഷ്മാംഗിയായ മദാലസാ എന്റെ ഭാര്യയായിരുന്നില്ലെങ്കിൽ, ഈ ജീവിതത്തിൽ മറ്റൊരു സ്ത്രീയും എന്റെ സഹചാരിണിയാകുമായിരുന്നില്ല।

Word by Word

• ṛtadhvajaḥ: Ṛtadhvaja
• ṛtadhvajaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtadhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional particle (शर्त-अव्यय)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Demonstrative pronoun (तद्-सर्वनाम), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• mama: my
• mama: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tanvaṅgī: slender-limbed
• tanvaṅgī: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tanu-aṅgī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi: tanu (तनु=slender) + aṅgī (अङ्गी=limbed); Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

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

• syāt: would be
• syāt: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhāryā: wife
• bhāryā: Pratipādya (प्रातिपाद्य/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• madālasā: Madālasā
• madālasā: Pratipādya (प्रातिपाद्य/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madālasā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); proper name

• asmin: in this
• asmin: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Demonstrative pronoun (इदम्-सर्वनाम), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• janmani: birth / life
• janmani: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

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

• anyā: another (woman)
• anyā: Pratishedhya-karta (प्रतिषेध्यकर्ता/Negated subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• me: of me / my
• me: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhavitrī: will be / is to be (as)
• bhavitrī: Pratipādya (प्रातिपाद्य/Predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (धातु) + tṛ (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: Agent noun (तृन्-कृदन्त), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• sahacāriṇī: companion
• sahacāriṇī: Pratipādya (प्रातिपाद्य/Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saha-cāriṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: saha (सह=with) + cāriṇī (चारिणी=companion); Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

Speakers

• Ṛtadhvaja (explicit)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Marital fidelity
• Satya (truthfulness)
• Pativratā ideal (by reflection)
• Vow

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse elevates exclusive commitment as a dharmic ideal: the husband mirrors the wife’s famed steadfastness by declaring a one-consort principle (in this birth), grounding it in satya (truthfulness).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Vaṃśānucarita-type moral portrait: a ruler’s vows and conduct are narrated to exemplify dharma.

What is the esoteric significance?

Single-pointedness in relationship parallels single-pointedness in sādhana: the mind that does not scatter among alternatives is portrayed as capable of firm resolve.