Shloka 17

कौसल्याविलापः

Kausalya’s Lament and Ethical Analogies on Kingship

Devanagari script

हविराज्यं पुरोडाशाः कुशा यूपाश्च खादिराः।नैतानि यातयामानि कुर्वन्ति पुनरध्वरे।।2.61.17।।

Transliteration

havir ājyaṃ puroḍāśāḥ kuśā yūpāś ca khādirāḥ |

naitāni yātayāmāni kurvanti punar adhvare || 2.61.17 ||

Translation

ഹവിസ്, ആജ്യം (നെയ്യ്), പുരോടാശം, കുശപ്പുല്ല്, ഖദിരയൂപങ്ങൾ—കാലംചെന്നു ജീർണ്ണിച്ച് മുമ്പേ ഉപയോഗിച്ചവ—വീണ്ടും യാഗത്തിൽ പ്രയോഗിക്കാറില്ല.

Word by Word

• haviḥ: oblation
• haviḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: havis (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• ājyaṃ: ghee
• ājyaṃ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• puroḍāśāḥ: sacrificial cakes
• puroḍāśāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puroḍāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• kuśāḥ: kuśa grasses
• kuśāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• yūpāḥ: sacrificial posts
• yūpāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• khādirāḥ: khadira-wood (items)
• khādirāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khādira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• etāni: these
• etāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपेण (object)

• yātayāmāni: stale (past the proper time)
• yātayāmāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yātayāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; एतानि इति विशेषण; ‘stale/kept too long’

• kurvanti: make/use
• kurvanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: again)

• adhvare: in the sacrifice
• adhvare: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

Context

In the same way Rama will not accept this kingdom enjoyed by others like liquour or soma juice drained of its essence.

Characters & Entities

• kuśa
• yūpa

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma values purity and propriety: what is ‘spent’ or improperly reused becomes unfit—an analogy for political legitimacy and moral cleanliness.

What is the narrative situation?

The speaker uses Vedic ritual standards to argue that what has already been used (or tainted by prior use) should not be reused—preparing the comparison to the kingdom.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Commitment to ritual and moral order: appropriateness (aucitya) and purity (śauca) as measures of right action.