Shloka 10

Adhyāya 122 — Śruta-vṛtta-yukta Brāhmaṇa and the Ethics of Dāna

Maitreya–Vyāsa Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

तमृषिं द्रष्टमगमत्‌ सर्वास्वन्यासु योनिषु । श्वाविद्वोधावराहाणां तथैव मृगपक्षिणाम्‌

Transliteration

tam ṛṣiṁ draṣṭum agamat sarvāsv anyāsu yoniṣu | śvāvid-uddhā-varāhāṇāṁ tathaiva mṛga-pakṣiṇām | śvapāka-śūdra-vaiśyānāṁ kṣatriyāṇāṁ ca yoniṣu |

Translation

ବ୍ୟାସ କହିଲେ—ସେ ଋଷିଙ୍କୁ ଦର୍ଶନ କରିବାକୁ ଗଲା; କିନ୍ତୁ ତା’ପୂର୍ବରୁ ସେ ଅନ୍ୟାନ୍ୟ ଯୋନିମାନଙ୍କରେ ଭ୍ରମଣ କରିଥିଲା—ଶାହି, ଗୋଧା, ବରାହ; ତଥା ମୃଗ ଓ ପକ୍ଷୀମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ; ଏବଂ ଶ୍ୱପାକ, ଶୂଦ୍ର, ବୈଶ୍ୟ ଓ କ୍ଷତ୍ରିୟ ଯୋନିମାନଙ୍କରେ ମଧ୍ୟ। ଏଭଳି ଅନେକ ଯୋନିରେ ଭ୍ରମଣ କରି ଶେଷରେ ସେ କ୍ଷତ୍ରିୟକୁଳରେ ଜନ୍ମ ଲାଭ କଲା; ଅମିତ ତେଜସ୍ବୀ ବ୍ୟାସଙ୍କ କୃପାରେ ସେ ଋଷିଙ୍କ ଦର୍ଶନ ପାଇଁ ଗଲା।

Word by Word

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

• ऋषिम्: sage
• ऋषिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• द्रष्टुम्: to see
• द्रष्टुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Tumun (infinitive), Parasmaipada/Atmanepada-neutral (infinitive)

• अगमत्: went
• अगमत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Aorist (Luṅ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सर्वासु: in all
• सर्वासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• अन्यासु: in other
• अन्यासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• योनिषु: wombs/births/species
• योनिषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• श्वाविद्वोधावराहाणाम्: of porcupines, (vodhā-) and boars
• श्वाविद्वोधावराहाणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वाविद् + वोधा + वराह
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• तथा: thus/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• मृगपक्षिणाम्: of beasts and birds
• मृगपक्षिणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग + पक्षिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• श्वपाकशूद्रवैश्यानाम्: of caṇḍālas, śūdras, and vaiśyas
• श्वपाकशूद्रवैश्यानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वपाक + शूद्र + वैश्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• क्षत्रियाणाम्: of kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियाणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

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

• योनिषु: in wombs/births
• योनिषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• a sage (ṛṣi)
• porcupine (śvāvid)
• camel (uṣṭra/uddhā)
• boar (varāha)
• deer/wild animals (mṛga)
• birds (pakṣin)
• śvapāka/caṇḍāla (outcaste)
• Śūdra
• Vaiśya
• Kṣatriya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores karmic causality and the long arc of rebirth: a being may traverse many forms of existence, and only after such experience—assisted by the grace of a realized guide like Vyāsa—attains a human birth conducive to seeking sages and higher dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa narrates that a person (previously moving through many animal and human social births) is finally born as a Kṣatriya; then, in that life, he goes to meet and behold a particular ṛṣi, implying a turning toward instruction, purification, or resolution of a prior account.