Shloka 20

देवतापितृप्रश्नः — Nārada at Badarīāśrama: the ultimate referent of daiva and pitṛ worship

Devanagari script

संचिन्वानकमेवैनं कामानामवितृप्तकम्‌ । वृकीवोरणमासाद्य मृत्युरादाय गच्छति

Transliteration

sañcinvānakam evainaṁ kāmānām atṛptakam | vṛkīva uraṇam āsādya mṛtyur ādāya gacchati ||

Translation

వ్యాసుడు పలికెను—మనిషి భోగసాధనాలను కూడబెట్టుతూనే ఉంటాడు, అయినా తృప్తి పొందడు; అప్పుడు గొర్రెపిల్లను పట్టుకుపోయే నక్కలాగ మరణము అతనిపై దూకి అతనిని ఎత్తుకుపోతుంది.

Word by Word

• संचिन्वानकम्: accumulating, collecting
• संचिन्वानकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संचिन्वान (धातु: चि + सम्, वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (एतद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कामानाम्: of desires / of pleasures
• कामानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अवितृप्तकम्: unsatiated, not satisfied
• अवितृप्तकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवितृप्तक (वि-तृप् + क, नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वृकी: a she-wolf (or tigress, by context)
• वृकी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृकी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• उरणम्: a lamb (young of a sheep)
• उरणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उरण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आसाद्य: having reached / having seized
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√सद्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आदाय: having taken (away)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√दा
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• गच्छति: goes, departs
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Mṛtyu (Death)
• vṛkī (she-wolf)
• uraṇa (lamb)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Desire-driven accumulation does not yield lasting satisfaction; death can arrive abruptly and strip away all possessions. Therefore one should cultivate restraint, contentment, and detachment rather than endless hoarding.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa uses a vivid simile: just as a she-wolf snatches up a lamb and carries it off, so Death suddenly comes upon a person who is busy collecting enjoyments and still remains unsated, and takes him away.