Shloka 48

Adhyaya 61 — The Second Manvantara Begins: The Brahmin’s Swift Journey and Varuthini’s Temptation on Himavat

Sanskrit

ब्राह्मण उवाच येनोपायेन गच्छेयं निजगेहं शुचिस्मिते । तन्ममाचक्ष्व कल्याणि हानिर्नोऽखिलकर्मणाम् ॥

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca yenopāyena gaccheyaṃ nijagehaṃ śucismite | tan mamācakṣva kalyāṇi hānir no 'khila-karmaṇām ||

Translation

బ్రాహ్మణుడు అన్నాడు—హే సుముఖీ! నేను ఏ ఉపాయంతో నా స్వగృహానికి వెళ్లగలను? హే శుభే, నా సమస్త కర్మధర్మాలకు సంపూర్ణంగా నష్టం కలగకుండా అది నాకు చెప్పుము।

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: the brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे ‘येन उपायेन’ = by which means

• उपायेन: by a means/method
• उपायेन: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• गच्छेयम्: may I go
• गच्छेयम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/Potential), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• निजगेहम्: to my own house
• निजगेहम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज + गेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘निजं गेहम्’

• शुचिस्मिते: O pure-smiling one
• शुचिस्मिते: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुचि + स्मित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘शुचि स्मितं यस्याः’ (O one with pure smile)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘that (matter)’

• मम: to me / my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of me/to me’ (possessive)

• आचक्ष्व: tell, explain
• आचक्ष्व: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कल्याणि: O auspicious one
• कल्याणि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्याणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• हानिः: loss
• हानिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हानि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नः: of us
• नः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘of us/our’

• अखिलकर्मणाम्: of all rites/actions
• अखिलकर्मणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अखिल + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘अखिलानि कर्माणि’

Speakers

• Brāhmaṇa (to Varūthinī)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Gṛhastha duties
• Nitya-naimittika rites
• Anxiety over ritual lapse

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse frames dharma as practice-dependent: a householder’s obligations are not merely beliefs but time-bound acts (daily and occasional rites). Prolonged absence risks ‘hāni’—a practical erosion of dharmic order and self-discipline.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Primarily not pancalakṣaṇa material; it belongs to ācāra/dharma instruction embedded in narrative. It is ancillary to Purāṇic teaching rather than sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Home’ can symbolize the proper locus of svadharma (one’s ordained sphere). The request for an ‘upāya’ hints that dharma sometimes requires skillful means—right action aligned with time, place, and role.