Shloka 21

Adhyaya 11 — The Son’s Discourse on Embryogenesis, Birth, and the Wheel of Saṃsāra

Sanskrit

पुनश्च मरणं तद्वज्जन्म चाप्नोति मानवः ।

ततः संसारचक्रे 'स्मिन् भ्राम्यते घटियन्रवत् ॥

Transliteration

punaś ca maraṇaṃ tadvaj janma cāpnoti mānavaḥ | tataḥ saṃsāracakre 'smin bhrāmyate ghaṭiyantravat ||

Translation

Sekali lagi, maut datang—dan demikian juga kelahiran diperoleh oleh manusia; maka dalam roda saṃsāra ini, dia mengembara seperti mekanisme kincir air yang berputar.

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (singular)

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), उपमानार्थक (comparative: 'like that')

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• मानवः: a man
• मानवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), तस्मात्-अर्थे (ablatival adverb: 'thereafter/from that')

• संसारचक्रे: in the wheel of transmigration
• संसारचक्रे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार-चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive tatpuruṣa): संसारस्य चक्रम्

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुं/नपुंसक (m/n), सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन (singular)

• भ्राम्यते: wanders/whirls
• भ्राम्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• घटियन्रवत्: like a clockwork mechanism
• घटियन्रवत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: घटि-यन्त्र-वत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: वत्-प्रत्ययान्त (vat-suffix) अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग (adverbial comparative); तत्पुरुष: घट्याः यन्त्रं (clockwork) + वत् ('like')

Speakers

• Not specified in excerpt.

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "karuna", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Rebirth
• Saṃsāra-cakra
• Impermanence
• Detachment

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Without liberating knowledge and right conduct, one repeats birth and death mechanically; the image urges urgency (saṃvega) and disciplined dharma as preparation for mokṣa-oriented inquiry.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

A general saṃsāra teaching—Purāṇic dharma/ontology associated with Sarga/Pratisarga instruction rather than the historical Vaṃśa sections.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ghaṭī-yantra metaphor implies an impersonal causal machine: karma lifts one up and drops one down in repetitive motion until the driving force (ignorance/desire) is cut.