Shloka 28

Womb-Suffering and the Path to Liberation

Dialogue of Wisdom, Meditation, and Discernment

Devanagari script

वृद्धत्वेन तथा देवि शबलत्वेन पीडितः । दुःखं चिंतयते नित्यं हाहाभूतो विचेतनः

Transliteration

vṛddhatvena tathā devi śabalatvena pīḍitaḥ | duḥkhaṃ ciṃtayate nityaṃ hāhābhūto vicetanaḥ

Translation

ହେ ଦେବୀ! ବୃଦ୍ଧତ୍ୱ ଓ ଦୁର୍ବଳତାରେ ପୀଡିତ ସେ ନିତ୍ୟ ଦୁଃଖକୁ ହିଁ ଚିନ୍ତା କରେ; “ହାୟ ହାୟ” କରି ବିଚେତନ ହୋଇଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• वृद्धत्वेन: by/owing to old age
• वृद्धत्वेन: Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धत्व (प्रातिपदिक; वृद्ध + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन — Instrumental singular (by/with/owing to old age)

• तथा: thus; also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण — indeclinable adverb (‘thus/also’)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Vocative singular

• शबलत्वेन: by/owing to blemish/mottledness
• शबलत्वेन: Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शबलत्व (प्रातिपदिक; शबल + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Instrumental singular (by/owing to mottledness/blemish)

• पीडितः: afflicted
• पीडितः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीड् (धातु) → पीडित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि विशेषण — past passive participle, nominative singular

• दुःखम्: sorrow
• दुःखम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular (object)

• चिंतयते: thinks; broods
• चिंतयते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — Present indicative, 3rd person singular (Ātmanepada)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण — adverbial accusative/indeclinable usage (‘always’)

• हाहाभूतः: lamenting; crying ‘hā hā’
• हाहाभूतः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाहा (अव्यय/उद्गार) + भू (धातु) → भूत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावसमास (‘हाहा’ + ‘भूत’) — nominative singular, ‘having become “hāhā” (lamenting)’

• विचेतनः: unconscious; senseless
• विचेतनः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचेतन (प्रातिपदिक; वि- + चेतन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

Speaker

Unspecified narrator addressing Devī (likely a dialogue voice speaking to Pārvatī as 'devī')

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: हाहाभूतो = हाहा + भूतः (अव्ययीभावसमास/उद्गारपूर्वक); अन्यत्र स्पष्टपदविभागः।

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What human condition is described in this verse?

It depicts the mental and physical collapse that can come with old age and debility—leading to continual sorrow, lamentation, and a loss of clear awareness.

What is the ethical or spiritual lesson implied?

The verse underscores impermanence and the inevitability of bodily decline, encouraging sobriety, detachment, and timely pursuit of dharma before old age overwhelms one’s capacities.

Why is the addressee 'Devī' significant?

Addressing 'Devī' suggests the verse occurs within a didactic dialogue framed as instruction to the Goddess (commonly Pārvatī), a typical Purāṇic device to present moral reflection and guidance.