Shloka 71

Adhyaya 34 — Madālāsā’s Instruction on Sadācāra (Householder Conduct, Purity, and Daily Rites)

Sanskrit

कुर्वोतालम्बनं चापि दक्षिणश्रवणस्य वै ।

यथाविभवतो ह्येतत् पूर्वाभावे ततः परम् ॥

Transliteration

kurvotālambanaṃ cāpi dakṣiṇaśravaṇasya vai | yathāvibhavato hy etat pūrvābhāve tataḥ param ||

Translation

Hendaklah juga memegang (menyentuh) telinga kanan. Perbuatan-perbuatan ini dilakukan menurut kemampuan; apabila amalan yang terdahulu (yang ditetapkan) tidak dapat dilakukan, maka amalan yang berikutnya hendaklah diambil.

Word by Word

• kurvīta: should do
• kurvīta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• ālambanam: touching/holding (support)
• ālambanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ālambana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• api: also
• api: Emphasis/Addition (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (निपात)

• dakṣiṇa-śravaṇasya: of the right ear
• dakṣiṇa-śravaṇasya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + śravaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound (समास) karmadhāraya; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle/emphasis (निपात)

• yathā-vibhavataḥ: according to ability/means
• yathā-vibhavataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + vibhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound; adverbial genitive/ablatival sense: 'according to one's means'

• hi: for/indeed
• hi: Emphasis/Reason (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (निपात)

• etat: this
• etat: Karma/Topic (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम); Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• pūrva-abhāve: in the absence of the former
• pūrva-abhāve: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + abhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound (समास) tatpuruṣa; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; ablatival adverb (तसिल्)

• param: the next (alternative)
• param: Karma/Topic (विषय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular (एकवचन); used substantively 'the next (one)'

Speakers

• General ācāra instruction (speaker not specified in provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Ritual alternatives
• Practical accommodation
• Śauca

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The tradition recognizes graded observance: dharma is upheld through sincere compliance within one’s capacity, using authorized substitutes when ideal acts are unavailable.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary ācāra guidance, not one of the five defining Purāṇic topics.

What is the esoteric significance?

Touching the right ear is a compact ‘reset’ gesture, often associated with invoking inner witness/recall of sacred sound; it symbolically re-centers one in śruti-aligned awareness.