Shloka 11

Saṃvaraṇa’s Petition and Tapatī’s Conditioned Consent (सम्वरण-तपती संवादः)

Devanagari script

कुर्यान्न निन्दितं कर्म न नृशंसं कथंचन । इति पूर्वे महात्मान आपद्धर्मविदो विदु:,आपद्धर्मके ज्ञाता प्राचीन महात्माओंने कहा है कि किसी प्रकार भी क्रूर एवं निन्दित कर्म नहीं करना चाहिये। अतः आज अपनी पत्नीके साथ स्वयं मेरा विनाश हो जाय, यह श्रेष्ठ है; किंतु ब्राह्यणवधकी अनुमति मैं कदापि नहीं दे सकता

Transliteration

kuryān na ninditaṃ karma na nṛśaṃsaṃ kathaṃcana | iti pūrve mahātmāna āpaddharmavido viduḥ ||

Translation

ब्राह्मण म्हणाला— कोणत्याही परिस्थितीत निंद्य कर्म करू नये, कधीही क्रूर कृत्य करू नये. आपद्धर्म जाणणाऱ्या प्राचीन महात्म्यांनी असेच सांगितले आहे. म्हणून आज पत्नीसमवेत माझा नाश झाला तरी तेच श्रेयस्कर; पण ब्राह्मणवधास मी कधीही संमती देऊ शकत नाही.

Word by Word

[{'term''kuryāt', 'definition': 'should do

ought to perform (optative of √kṛ)'}, {'term''na', 'definition': 'not

never'}, {'term''ninditam', 'definition': 'blameworthy, censured, condemned'}, {'term': 'karma', 'definition': 'act, deed

conduct'}, {'term''nṛśaṃsam', 'definition': 'cruel, pitiless, inhuman'}, {'term': 'kathaṃcana', 'definition': 'in any way

under any circumstance'}, {'term''iti', 'definition': 'thus

so (quotative particle)'}, {'term''pūrve', 'definition': 'the ancients

those of former times'}, {'term''mahātmānaḥ', 'definition': 'great-souled ones

noble persons'}, {'term''āpaddharma', 'definition': 'dharma in distress/calamity

emergency ethics'}, {'term''vidaḥ / vido', 'definition': 'knowers

those who understand'}, {'term''viduḥ', 'definition': 'they know

they have declared/recognized'}, {'term''brāhmaṇavadha', 'definition': 'killing of a brāhmaṇa (a grave sin)'}, {'term': 'anumati', 'definition': 'permission, consent, approval'}]

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

ब्राह्मण (the brāhmaṇa speaker)

प

पत्नी (the brāhmaṇa's wife)

प

पूर्वे महात्मानः (ancient great-souled authorities)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in extreme distress (āpaddharma), one must not justify cruel or censured actions; certain moral boundaries—especially the prohibition against killing a brāhmaṇa—are upheld as inviolable, and personal loss is preferable to committing grave adharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa, speaking under pressure of a crisis, cites the authority of ancient dharma-knowers to refuse any consent to a cruel, blameworthy act—specifically brāhmaṇa-killing—declaring that he would rather perish with his wife than allow such a sin.