Shloka 15

Kārtavīrya–Samudra Saṃvāda and the Jāmadagnya Precedent (आश्वमेधिक पर्व, अध्याय २९)

Devanagari script

तेषां स्वविहितं कर्म तद्धयान्नानुतिष्ठताम्‌ । प्रजा वृषलतां प्राप्ता ब्राह्मणानामदर्शनात्‌

Transliteration

teṣāṁ svavihitaṁ karma taddhayān nānutiṣṭhatām | prajā vṛṣalatāṁ prāptā brāhmaṇānām adarśanāt ||

Translation

भयामुळे त्यांनी आपल्यासाठी विहित असलेले कर्तव्यही आचरले नाही. दीर्घकाळ ब्राह्मणांचे दर्शन व मार्गदर्शन न झाल्याने प्रजा हळूहळू वृषलत्वास प्राप्त झाली.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• स्वविहितम्: prescribed by oneself / duly enjoined (for them)
• स्वविहितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वविहित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कर्म: duty, action
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ध्यानात्: from (their) attention/consideration; due to (that) thought
• ध्यानात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अनुतिष्ठताम्: of those who do not perform / while not carrying out
• अनुतिष्ठताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-स्था
• Form: Present participial/finite form used as genitive plural (classical epic usage), Plural

• प्रजाः: the subjects, people
• प्रजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• वृषलताम्: the state of being a vृषल (low/śūdra-like condition)
• वृषलताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषलता
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• प्राप्ताः: having reached, having become
• प्राप्ताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: Past participle (kta), Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of the brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अदर्शनात्: from non-seeing; due to the absence (of sight/meeting)
• अदर्शनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

Speaker

समुद्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Samudra (the Ocean)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Prajā (the people/subjects)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Fear-driven abandonment of one’s prescribed duties leads to ethical and social deterioration; sustained guidance by learned Brāhmaṇas is presented as crucial for preserving dharma and right conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Samudra (the Ocean) explains that certain people, intimidated by fear, stopped performing their proper duties; over time, lacking contact with Brāhmaṇas, they lost their customary discipline and declined into the status described as vṛṣalas.