Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तत:ः कदाचिल्लिखित: शंखस्याश्रममागत: । यद्च्छयाथ शंखो<पि निष्क्रान्तो5$भवदाश्रमात्‌

Transliteration

tataḥ kadācillikhitaḥ śaṅkasyāśramam āgataḥ | yadṛcchayātha śaṅkopy niṣkrānto 'bhavad āśramāt ||

Translation

Então, certa vez, Likhita chegou ao āśrama de Śaṅkha. Por acaso, naquele mesmo instante, Śaṅkha também saía do eremitério.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय

• कदाचित्: once, at some time
• कदाचित्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित्
• Form: अव्यय

• लिखितः: Likhita (a person named Likhita)
• लिखितः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिखित (√लिख्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शंखस्य: of Śaṅkha
• शंखस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• आश्रमम्: hermitage
• आश्रमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आगतः: came, arrived
• आगतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आगत (आ-√गम्)
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्तरि प्रयोगः)

• यदृच्छया: by chance, accidentally
• यदृच्छया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदृच्छा
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• अथ: then, and then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ
• Form: अव्यय

• शंखः: Śaṅkha
• शंखः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि
• Form: अव्यय

• निष्क्रान्तः: went out, came forth
• निष्क्रान्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: निष्क्रान्त (निस्-√क्रम्)
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्तरि प्रयोगः)

• अभवत्: was, happened
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• आश्रमात्: from the hermitage
• आश्रमात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyasa
• Likhita
• Shankha
• ashrama (hermitage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse initiates a dharma-episode: a chance meeting in an ascetic setting becomes the basis for discussing ethical responsibility and proper conduct, showing how moral inquiry often arises from everyday circumstances.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa narrates that Likhita arrives at Śaṅkha’s hermitage, and coincidentally Śaṅkha emerges from the hermitage at that moment—setting up their ensuing interaction.