Shloka 20

Adhyaya 23 — Ashvatara’s Vow for Madalasa and the Bestowal of Musical Science by Sarasvati

Sanskrit

तामृते मृगशावाक्षीं गन्धर्वतनयामहम् ।

न भोक्ष्ये योषितं काञ्चिदिति सत्यं मयोदितम् ॥

Transliteration

tām ṛte mṛgaśāvākṣīṃ gandharva-tanayām aham / na bhokṣye yoṣitaṃ kāñcid iti satyaṃ mayoditam

Translation

ആ ഗന്ധർവകന്നിയായ മാൻകണ്ണിയെയൊഴികെ ഞാൻ മറ്റൊരു സ്ത്രീയെയും അനുഭവിക്കുകയില്ല; ഇതാണ് ഞാൻ പറഞ്ഞ സത്യം।

Word by Word

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Demonstrative pronoun (तद्-सर्वनाम), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• ṛte: except
• ṛte: Apadana/Exclusion (अपादान/Exclusion)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ṛte (अव्यय)
• Form: Preposition-like indeclinable (वर्जनार्थक-अव्यय) governing accusative

• mṛgaśāvākṣīm: fawn-eyed
• mṛgaśāvākṣīm: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛgaśāva-akṣī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi: mṛgaśāva (मृगशाव=fawn) + akṣī (अक्षी=eyed); Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• gandharvatanayām: daughter of a Gandharva
• gandharvatanayām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandharva-tanayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी): gandharvasya tanayā; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

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

• bhokṣye: I will enjoy / partake
• bhokṣye: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु)
• Form: Simple Future (लृट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• yoṣitam: a woman
• yoṣitam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoṣit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• kāñcit: any (woman)
• kāñcit: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Indefinite pronoun (किम्), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-निपात)

• satyam: truth
• satyam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartr-karana (कर्तृकरण/Agent-instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• uditam: spoken / uttered
• uditam: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vad (धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन) agreeing with satyam

Speakers

• Ṛtadhvaja

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Satya
• Marital exclusivity
• Vows
• Idealized conjugal dharma

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Truthfulness is made performative through vow: the ethical identity of the speaker is bound to satya, and conjugal restraint becomes a visible marker of inner discipline.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Vaṃśānucarita-type narrative ethics; not a cosmological or genealogical catalogue, but character-dharma in story form.

What is the esoteric significance?

The vow represents pratyāhāra-like withdrawal from sense-seeking alternatives; fidelity is treated as a concentration of desire into a single sanctioned channel, reducing fragmentation of mind.