Shloka 57

Adhyaya 2 — The Wise Birds

Sanskrit

क्वाणाडानां पतनं विप्राः क्व घण्टापतनं समम् ।

क्व च मांसवसारक्तैर्भूमेरास्तरणक्रियाः ॥

Transliteration

kvāṇāḍānāṃ patanaṃ viprāḥ kva ghaṇṭāpatanaṃ samam / kva ca māṃsa-vasā-raktair bhūmer āstaraṇa-kriyāḥ

Translation

ఓ బ్రాహ్మణులారా, చిన్న ఆṇāḍa-ల పతనం ఎక్కడ, గంట పతనంతో సమానమైనది ఎక్కడ? అలాగే మాంసం, మేదస్సు, రక్తంతో భూమిని పరచి/కప్పివేయడం ఎక్కడ?

Word by Word

• क्व: where
• क्व: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb: where?)

• अणाडानाम्: of the (so-called) aṇāḍas
• अणाडानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अणाड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; genitive plural

• पतनम्: falling
• पतनम्: Karta (कर्ता/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत् (धातु) + अन (कृदन्त/भाव)
• Form: भाववाचक कृदन्त (action noun), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (8th), बहुवचन; vocative plural

• क्व: where
• क्व: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• घण्टापतनम्: the fall of a bell (i.e., heavy fall)
• घण्टापतनम्: Karta (कर्ता/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घण्टा-पतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्राय तत्पुरुष: ‘घण्टायाः पतनम्’ (falling like/of a bell); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समम्: comparable/equal
• समम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Comparison)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicate adjective ‘equal/comparable’

• क्व: where
• क्व: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• मांसवसारक्तैः: with flesh, fat, and blood
• मांसवसारक्तैः: Karaṇa (करणम्/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस-वसा-रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative): मांसं च वसा च रक्तं च; पुं/नपुंस, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; instrumental plural

• भूमेः: of the earth/ground
• भूमेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; genitive singular

• आस्तरणक्रियाः: acts of covering/spreading (as a covering)
• आस्तरणक्रियाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आस्तरण-क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्राय तत्पुरुष: ‘आस्तरणरूपाः क्रियाः’ (acts of spreading/covering); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speakers

• Uncertain from single-verse input (occurs within early Markandeya Purana narrative dialogue)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "bibhatsa", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Rhetorical reasoning
• Violence imagery
• Ethical critique
• Incongruity / disproportion

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse uses stark disproportion as a rhetorical device: small causes cannot reasonably be equated with massive effects. By juxtaposing a minor ‘falling’ with the heavy fall of a bell, and then with the gruesome ‘covering of the earth’ in flesh, fat, and blood, it critiques exaggerated or incoherent assertions and highlights the moral weight of large-scale violence.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse is not directly sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita material. It fits best as ancillary didactic/narrative dialogue (upabṛṃhaṇa) rather than one of the five defining lakṣaṇas.

What is the esoteric significance?

Symbolically, ‘bell-fall’ evokes a loud, unavoidable event (karma’s heavy consequence), while ‘carpeting the earth with flesh/fat/blood’ evokes the saturation of the world by tamas and हिंसा (violent passion). The rhetorical ‘kva…kva…’ pattern points to viveka (discernment): distinguishing the trivial from the grave, and refusing false equivalences in moral judgment.