Shloka 28

Account of the Ripening of Karma

Childlessness, Offspring, and Remedial Dharma

Devanagari script

एकदा पथियातौ च नीचपुत्रं जलेपि च । मग्नं दृष्ट्वा हेलया च गतौ स पंचतां गतः

Transliteration

ekadā pathiyātau ca nīcaputraṃ jalepi ca | magnaṃ dṛṣṭvā helayā ca gatau sa paṃcatāṃ gataḥ

Translation

Certa vez, enquanto ambos viajavam, viram o filho de um homem de baixa condição afundando-se nas águas; mas, tratando isso com descaso, seguiram adiante. Por isso, ele encontrou a morte.

Word by Word

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• पथि: on the road
• पथि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• यातौ: having gone (the two)
• यातौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) ‘यात’ (gone), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (dual); ‘(तौ)’ इत्यर्थे

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• नीच-पुत्रम्: a low-born man's son
• नीच-पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीच (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• मग्नम्: sunk/drowning
• मग्नम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मग्न (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); ‘नीचपुत्रम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• हेलया: with indifference/neglect
• हेलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• गतौ: went away (the two)
• गतौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) ‘गत’ (gone), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (dual); ‘(तौ)’ इत्यर्थे

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• पञ्चताम्: to death (state of five elements)
• पञ्चताम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); ‘पञ्चत्व’ = मृत्युभावः

• गतः: went/attained
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) ‘गत’ (gone), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within the Adhyaya; dialogue pair not provided in the excerpt)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: river

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: पथियातौ = पथि + यातौ; जलेपि = जले + अपि (ए + अ → ए); पंचतां = पञ्चताम् (अनुस्वार/पञ्च-शब्द).

FAQs

What ethical lesson does this verse teach?

It condemns indifference to another’s suffering: neglecting a person in mortal danger is presented as a grave moral failure with fatal consequences.

What does “pañcatāṃ gataḥ” mean in this context?

Literally “gone to the state of the five (elements),” it is an idiom for death—returning to the five material elements.

Does the verse specify who the two travelers are?

Not in the provided excerpt; identifying them requires the surrounding verses of Adhyaya 5.