Shloka 42

Adhyaya 74 — King Svarashtra, the Deer-Queen’s Curse, and the Rise of Tamasa Manu

Sanskrit

एवं शापमहं लब्ध्वा मृता तिर्यक्त्वमागता ।

त्वत्संस्पर्शाच्च गर्भोऽसौ संभूतो जठरे मम ॥

Transliteration

evaṃ śāpam ahaṃ labdhvā mṛtā tiryaktvam āgatā / tvat-saṃsparśāc ca garbho 'sau saṃbhūto jaṭhare mama

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ശാപം ഏറ്റു ഞാൻ മരിച്ച് മൃഗയോനിയിൽ എത്തി. നിന്റെ സ്പർശം മൂലം എന്റെ ഗർഭത്തിൽ ആ ഭ്രൂണം ഉദ്ഭവിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• शापम्: a curse
• शापम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• लब्ध्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• मृता: dead
• मृता: कर्ता-विशेषण (Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मृ (धातु) + मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि (predicate)

• तिर्यक्त्वम्: animal state (being a beast)
• तिर्यक्त्वम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यक्त्व (प्रातिपदिक; भाव-नाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः कर्म (object of motion)

• आगता: (I) came/attained
• आगता: क्रिया (Kriyā/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √गम् (धातु) + आगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• त्वत्संस्पर्शात्: from your touch/contact
• त्वत्संस्पर्शात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वत् (युष्मद्-षष्ठी-आधार) + संस्पर्श (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (your contact), पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेतौ (cause)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• गर्भः: embryo
• गर्भः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संभूतः: arisen, come into being
• संभूतः: क्रिया (Kriyā/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √भू (धातु) + संभूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि (predicate)

• जठरे: in the womb/belly
• जठरे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जठर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speakers

• The cursed female now in doe-form speaking to the king (implied by 2nd person address)

Key Themes

• Śāpa (curse) and karmic consequence
• Transmigration (saṃsāra)
• Extraordinary conception motif
• Fate in dynastic history

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Actions and curses shape embodiment across lives; yet even within constrained births, destiny can unfold toward higher purposes, showing the layered operation of karma and providence.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Vamśānucarita with Manvantara-adjacent content: the verse explains an unusual birth that becomes significant for epochal leadership (Manu).

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Contact’ as the trigger of conception can symbolize saṃskāra activation: latent karmic seeds fructify when the proper catalyst appears, even in unlikely existential conditions.