Shloka 11

Adhyaya 43 — Portents of Death (Ariṣṭa-lakṣaṇas) and the Yogin’s Response; Alarka Renounces Kingship

Sanskrit

घृते तैले तथादर्शे तोये वा नात्मनस्तनुम् ।

यः पश्येदशिरस्कां वा मासादूर्ध्वं न जीवति ॥

Transliteration

ghṛte taile tathādarśe toye vā nātmanastanum / yaḥ paśyedaśiraskāṃ vā māsādūrdhvaṃ na jīvati

Translation

നെയ്യിൽ, എണ്ണയിൽ, കണ്ണാടിയിൽ അല്ലെങ്കിൽ വെള്ളത്തിൽ സ്വന്തം ശരീരം നോക്കുമ്പോൾ അത് തലമില്ലാത്തതായി കാണുകയാണെങ്കിൽ, അവൻ ഒരു മാസത്തിന് മീതെ ജീവിക്കുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

• घृते: in ghee
• घृते: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तैले: in oil
• तैले: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: क्रिया-विशेषण (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: likewise/also)

• आदर्शे: in a mirror
• आदर्शे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तोये: in water
• तोये: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: विकल्प-सूचक (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तनुम्: body
• तनुम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यः: whoever
• यः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• पश्येत्: should see
• पश्येत्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्/दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अशिरस्काम्: headless (form)
• अशिरस्काम्: कर्म-विशेषण (qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-शिरस् + क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: अशिराः यस्याः सा (headless)

• वा: or
• वा: विकल्प-सूचक (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

• मासात्: from a month (after a month)
• मासात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• ऊर्ध्वम्: afterwards/beyond
• ऊर्ध्वम्: काल-निर्देश (temporal marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/देशवाचक-अव्यय (indeclinable: above/after)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• जीवति: lives
• जीवति: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speakers

• Dialogue-context unspecified in given excerpt

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Reflection-omens
• Body impermanence
• Imminent death (one month)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The ‘headless’ vision dramatizes the fragility of embodied identity; ethically it urges immediate completion of vows, settling debts, and cultivating remembrance of the Self beyond the body.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary omen-literature; not part of sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita.

What is the esoteric significance?

The head symbolizes prajñā and life-principle; its absence in reflection suggests withdrawal of prāṇa/tejas. Reflective media (water, oil) are liminal surfaces—metaphors for the boundary between worlds.