Shloka 58

Adhyaya 43 — Portents of Death (Ariṣṭa-lakṣaṇas) and the Yogin’s Response; Alarka Renounces Kingship

Sanskrit

अभ्यार्थितोऽपि तैः कार्यं करोति करणैर्यथा ।

तथा बुद्ध्यादिभिर्योगी पारक्यैः साधयेत्परम् ॥

Transliteration

abhyārthito ’pi taiḥ kāryaṃ karoti karaṇair yathā /

tathā buddhyādibhir yogī pārakyaiḥ sādhayet param

Translation

Sebagaimana seseorang, walaupun didorong oleh mereka, melakukan suatu perbuatan melalui alat-alat tindakan, demikian juga seorang yogin hendaklah mencapai Yang Tertinggi dengan perantaraan intelek (buddhi) dan yang lain-lain (mind, indera), dengan menganggapnya seolah-olah berada di luar dirinya.

Word by Word

• अभ्यार्थितः: (he who is) requested
• अभ्यार्थितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि+अर्थ् (धातु) → अभ्यार्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), ‘requested/entreated’

• अपि: even/although
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), concessive ‘even/although’

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• कार्यम्: the task/duty
• कार्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• करोति: does/performs
• करोति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• करणैः: with instruments/means
• करणैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• यथा: as/just as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative manner)

• तथा: so/in the same way
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तदनुरूप (correlative)

• बुद्धि-आदिभिः: by intellect and the like
• बुद्धि-आदिभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग ‘बुद्धि’ + ‘आदि’ (समासे), तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘बुद्ध्यादि’ = ‘बुद्धि आदि येषां तैः’ (with intellect etc.)

• योगी: the yogin
• योगी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पारक्यैः: with others’ (means)/foreign (means)
• पारक्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘belonging to another/foreign’

• साधयेत्: should accomplish
• साधयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: साध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• परम्: the highest (goal)
• परम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speakers

• Narrative instruction immediately preceding Alarka’s response (contextual teacher-voice within the Alarka episode)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Yoga
• Vairagya (detachment)
• Instrumentality of mind and senses
• Self-knowledge

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Mind and senses are to be handled as tools rather than as the Self. The ethical corollary is non-identification: one acts without being possessed by the instruments of action, which supports steadiness, restraint, and clarity.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily aligns with Dharma/ācāra and upadeśa (didactic instruction) rather than the cosmological lakṣaṇas; it is ancillary teaching embedded in narrative (not sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita as a main unit).

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Treating buddhi and the rest as belonging to another’ encodes the sāṃkhya-yogic discrimination (viveka): prakṛti’s evolutes (mind/intellect/senses) are not puruṣa. Realization of the Supreme is stabilized by sustained disidentification.