Shloka 40

Teaching of Karma-yoga

Student Conduct, Vedic Study, and Gāyatrī Supremacy

Devanagari script

आचार्यपुत्रः शुश्रूषुर्ज्ञानदो धार्मिकः शुचिः । शक्तोन्नदोंबुदः साधुरध्याप्यादश धर्मतः

Transliteration

ācāryaputraḥ śuśrūṣurjñānado dhārmikaḥ śuciḥ | śaktonnadoṃbudaḥ sādhuradhyāpyādaśa dharmataḥ

Translation

Anak lelaki ācārya hendaklah tekun berkhidmat, pemberi ilmu, berpegang pada dharma dan suci; berkeupayaan, membawa sukacita laksana awan hujan, serta berbudi—dan mengajarkan sepuluh kewajipan menurut dharma.

Word by Word

• आचार्य-पुत्रः: the teacher’s son
• आचार्य-पुत्रः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘आचार्यस्य पुत्रः’)

• शुश्रूषुः: eager to serve
• शुश्रूषुः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुश्रूषु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; इच्छार्थक/प्रवृत्तिवाचक विशेषण (‘सेवाकामः’)

• ज्ञान-दः: giver of knowledge
• ज्ञान-दः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘ज्ञानं ददाति’)

• धार्मिकः: righteous
• धार्मिकः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शक्तः: capable
• शक्तः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (able/capable)

• उन्नदः: exalted/lofty (reading uncertain)
• उन्नदः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उन्नद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-शब्द (possibly ‘उन्नतः/उन्नदः’)

• अम्बुदः: cloud
• अम्बुदः: विशेषण/उपमा (Qualifier/Metaphor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• साधुः: good/virtuous
• साधुः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अध्याप्य: having taught
• अध्याप्य: पूर्वकाल (Prior action circumstance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधि-इ (धातु) → अध्याप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वार्थे ल्यप्/तुमुन्-समर्थ अव्यय (gerund-like): ‘अध्याप्य’ = having taught / after teaching

• दश: ten
• दश: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), प्रायः अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; (here) ‘ten’

• धर्मतः: according to dharma
• धर्मतः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित/अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb: according to dharma / rightly)

Speaker

Unspecified (narratorial/instructional verse; speaker not identifiable from the single shloka alone)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: आचार्य+पुत्रः→आचार्यपुत्रः; शुश्रूषुः+ज्ञानदः→शुश्रूषुर्ज्ञानदः; शक्तः+उन्नदः+अम्बुदः→शक्तोन्नदोंबुदः (पाठे ‘उन्नद’ अस्पष्ट/संशयित)

FAQs

What virtues does this verse prescribe for the ācārya’s son?

It highlights service-mindedness (śuśrūṣā), purity (śuci), righteousness (dhārmika), competence (śakta), virtue (sādhu), and the role of imparting knowledge (jñānada).

What is meant by the comparison to a rain-cloud (ambuda)?

A rain-cloud nourishes and refreshes; similarly, the ideal educator figure should uplift and benefit others—bringing relief, joy, and growth through teaching.

What ethical lesson is emphasized in this verse?

Teaching is presented as a dharmic responsibility: knowledge should be transmitted by someone disciplined, pure, and righteous, and instruction should align with dharma rather than personal whim.