Shloka 97

Adhyaya 21 — Householder's Dharma

Sanskrit

एतदप्यधिकं वत्स तेन त्वं पुरुषोत्तमः ।

तद्धन्योऽस्म्य बाल त्वमहमेव गुणाधिकम् ॥

Transliteration

etad apy adhikaṃ vatsa tena tvaṃ puruṣottamaḥ / tad dhanyo 'smi bāla tvam aham eva guṇādhikam

Translation

ହେ ବତ୍ସ, ଏହା ତ ଆହୁରି ଅଧିକ ବିଶେଷ; ତେଣୁ ତୁମେ ନରଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ। ହେ ବାଳକ, ତୁମେ ଗୁଣରେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ଥିବାରୁ ମୁଁ ଧନ୍ୟ; ତାହାଦ୍ୱାରା ମୋର କୀର୍ତ୍ତି ମଧ୍ୟ ବଢ଼େ।

Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular; demonstrative pronoun; here as subject-complement ‘this’

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable; particle (अपि = also/even)

• adhikam: greater, additional
• adhikam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; comparative sense ‘more/greater’ qualifying etat

• vatsa: dear child
• vatsa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• tena: therefore/by that
• tena: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter/Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular; ‘by that/therefore’

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Nominative (1st), Singular

• puruṣa-uttamaḥ: the best of men
• puruṣa-uttamaḥ: Pradhāna-nāma (प्रधान-नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; कर्मधारय: ‘best (uttama) among men (puruṣa)’

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; demonstrative pronoun; object of implied praise/statement (‘that [fact]’)

• dhanyaḥ: blessed/fortunate
• dhanyaḥ: Pradhāna (प्रधान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhanya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate adjective with asmi

• asmi: I am
• asmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular

• bāla: O boy
• bāla: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Nominative, Singular

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Nominative, Singular

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable; emphatic particle (निश्चय/अवधारण)

• guṇa-adhikam: superior in qualities
• guṇa-adhikam: Pradhāna (प्रधान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष: ‘in qualities’ (guṇa-) + ‘superior/more’ (adhika); used predicatively (‘[you are] superior in qualities’)

Speakers

• Father (king) to son

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Virtue ethics (guṇa)
• Parental blessing
• Merit through progeny

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Personal excellence is defined not merely by power but by guṇa (virtue, character). The father models a dharmic valuation: virtue elevates both the individual and the lineage.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Vaṃśānucarita: praise and evaluation of a descendant’s conduct as a template for ideal rulership.

What is the esoteric significance?

Calling someone ‘puruṣottama’ in a narrative setting signals the archetype of the ‘ideal person’—one whose inner order (guṇa) aligns outer action with dharma.