Shloka 73

Adhyaya 43 — Portents of Death (Ariṣṭa-lakṣaṇas) and the Yogin’s Response; Alarka Renounces Kingship

Sanskrit

काशिराज उवाच

किमलर्क ! परित्यक्तं राज्यं ते संयुगं विना ।

क्षत्रियस्य न धर्मोऽयं भवांश्च क्षत्रधर्मवित् ॥

Transliteration

kāśirāja uvāca kim alarka! parityaktaṃ rājyaṃ te saṃyugaṃ vinā / kṣatriyasya na dharmo 'yaṃ bhavāṃś ca kṣatradharmavit

Translation

काशीराज उवाच— किमलर्क! युद्धं विना राज्यं त्यक्तवानसि? न एष क्षत्रियस्य धर्मः; त्वं च क्षत्रियधर्मविद् असि।

Word by Word

• kāśirājaḥ: the king of Kāśī
• kāśirājaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśirāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—काश्याः राजा इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• alarka: O Alarka
• alarka: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: alarka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• parityaktam: abandoned
• parityaktam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘त्यक्तम्’

• rājyam: kingdom
• rājyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• saṃyugam: battle
• saṃyugam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃyuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• vinā: without
• vinā: Apadana/Relation (अपादानार्थ-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद (preposition) — ‘विना’ सह द्वितीया

• kṣatriyasya: of a kṣatriya
• kṣatriyasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣatriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• dharmaḥ: duty; dharma
• dharmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ayam: this
• ayam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• bhavān: you (sir)
• bhavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• kṣatra-dharma-vit: knower of kṣatriya-duty
• kṣatra-dharma-vit: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣatra (प्रातिपदिक) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + vid (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—क्षत्रधर्मं वेत्ति इति उपपद-तत्पुरुषः; ‘-vit’ = विद्-धातोः क्विप्/क्विन्-प्रत्ययान्त (ज्ञाता)

Speakers

• Kāśīrāja speaking to Alarka

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Kshatriya dharma
• Honor and warfare ethics
• Tension between pravṛtti (worldly duty) and nivṛtti (renunciation)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse articulates the orthodox social-ethical view: rulers must not abdicate responsibility out of fear or weakness; renunciation must be distinguished from escapism.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Dharma instruction embedded in vaṃśānucarita (royal conduct).

What is the esoteric significance?

The objection represents the ‘voice of varṇāśrama’—the binding power of role-identity. The later teaching (Alarka’s reply) typically resolves this by elevating inner freedom over role.