Shloka 40

बभ्रुवाहन-धनंजययोः संग्रामः

Babhruvāhana and Dhanaṃjaya’s engagement at Maṇipūra

Devanagari script

तमनार्य नृशंसं च विस्मृत्यास्य पितामहम्‌

Transliteration

tam anārya nṛśaṁsaṁ ca vismṛtyāsya pitāmaham

Translation

Dengan melupakan datuknya sendiri, dia menganggapnya sebagai seorang yang hina dan kejam—suatu kelupaan yang sarat beban etika, menandai kejatuhan daripada tata laku yang wajar.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनार्यम्: ignoble, unworthy
• अनार्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनार्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नृशंसम्: cruel, ruthless
• नृशंसम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृशंस
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• विस्मृत्य: having forgotten
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + स्मृ
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• अस्य: of this (man), his
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• पितामहम्: grandfather
• पितामहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• pitāmaha (grandsire/grandfather)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ethically, forgetting one’s duty of reverence toward elders—especially a grandsire—can lead to wrongful judgment and harsh conduct; memory here signifies moral awareness (dharma-smṛti).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a moment where a person, losing sight of familial and moral bonds, treats his own grandsire as ignoble and cruel—highlighting a breakdown of proper recognition and respect.