Shloka 5

Adhyaya 43 — The Sun's Course

Sanskrit

दृष्ट्वा प्रेतपिशाचादीन् गन्धर्वनगराणि च ।

सुवर्णवर्णान् वृक्षांश्च नव मासान् स जीवति ॥

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā preta-piśācādīn gandharva-nagarāṇi ca /

suvarṇa-varṇān vṛkṣāṃś ca nava māsān sa jīvati //

Translation

പ്രേതങ്ങൾ, പിശാചുകൾ മുതലായവയും, ഗന്ധർവനഗരങ്ങൾ (മായാനഗരങ്ങൾ) കൂടാതെ സ്വർണ്ണവർണ്ണമുള്ള വൃക്ഷങ്ങളും കണ്ടാൽ—അവൻ ഒൻപത് മാസം ജീവിക്കും।

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (क्रिया; पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund)

• प्रेत-पिशाच-आदीन्: ghosts, goblins, and the like
• प्रेत-पिशाच-आदीन्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समाहार/समुच्चयार्थे तत्पुरुषः (प्रेतपिशाचाः आदयः)

• गन्धर्व-नगराणि: cities of the Gandharvas
• गन्धर्व-नगराणि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गन्धर्वाणां नगराणि)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• सुवर्ण-वर्णान्: golden-colored
• सुवर्ण-वर्णान्: Karma (कर्म; qualifies next noun)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सुवर्ण इव वर्णः येषाम्)

• वृक्षान्: trees
• वृक्षान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• नव: nine
• नव: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषणम्; (here) द्वितीया-बहुवचन-विशेषणं ‘मासान्’ प्रति

• मासान्: months (for a duration)
• मासान्: Kala-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण/अवधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कालपरिमाणे द्वितीया (accusative of duration)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जीवति: lives
• जीवति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speakers

• Dattatreya to the king

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Ariṣṭa
• Apparitions
• Illusion (māyā)
• Death within nine months

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

When the mind begins to populate perception with fearsome or mirage-like forms, one should not cling to ordinary pursuits; the instruction redirects one toward spiritual consolidation and calm.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary yogic-omen material; not Pancalakṣaṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Gandharva cities’ are classical symbols of insubstantiality. As death nears, the world’s solidity weakens in experience—teaching the yogin to recognize all appearances as transient constructions.