Shloka 39

Adhyaya 63 — Sumati's Dharma

Sanskrit

राक्षस उवाच ब्रह्ममित्रो 'ष्टधा भिन्नमायुर्वेदमधीतवान् । त्रयोदशाधिकरञ्च प्रगृह्याथर्वणो द्विजः ॥

Transliteration

rākṣasa uvāca brahmamitraḥ 'ṣṭadhā bhinnam āyurvedam adhītavān | trayodaśādhika-rañca pragṛhya atharvaṇo dvijaḥ ||

Translation

రాక్షసుడు ఇలా అన్నాడు—అథర్వణ యాజకుడైన ద్విజుడు బ్రహ్మమిత్రుడు అష్టాంగ ఆయుర్వేదాన్ని సంపూర్ణంగా అధ్యయనం చేశాడు; ఆ శాస్త్రానుష్ఠానాన్ని స్వీకరించి, అదనంగా పదమూడు విధాల విభాగ/ప్రామాణ్య సమూహాన్నికూడా పొందాడు।

Word by Word

• rākṣasaḥ: the rākṣasa (demon)
• rākṣasaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• brahmamitraḥ: Brahmamitra
• brahmamitraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmamitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• aṣṭadhā: in eight ways
• aṣṭadhā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aṣṭadhā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• bhinnam: divided
• bhinnam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhinna (कृदन्त; √bhid)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• āyurvedam: Āyurveda
• āyurvedam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyurveda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: आयुस् + वेद (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• adhītavān: had studied
• adhītavān: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: adhi-√i (धातु) + ktavatu (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (क्तवतु/क्तवत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (agentive: ‘having studied’)

• trayodaśa-adhikāram: the thirteenth section/topic
• trayodaśa-adhikāram: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trayodaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhikāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: त्रयोदश + अधिकार (संख्यापूर्वक-तत्पुरुष), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• pragṛhya: having taken up/received
• pragṛhya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया/Anterior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having taken/received’

• ātharvaṇaḥ: Atharvanic (connected with Atharva-veda)
• ātharvaṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātharvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• dvijaḥ: the twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• dvijaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speakers

• Rākṣasa narrating his backstory (to an unspecified listener in this excerpt)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Āyurveda
• Transmission of knowledge
• Pride and curse
• Ethics of discipleship

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Sacred knowledge is not merely information to be seized; it is to be received through eligibility, humility, and right relationship (guru–śiṣya). The verse sets up the later moral consequence: unauthorized appropriation becomes the seed of downfall.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Primarily Ākhyāna (narrative episode) rather than sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita; it functions as an instructive tale embedded within the Purāṇic narration.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘eightfold’ Āyurveda evokes ordered, integrated knowledge; when taken without inner discipline, that same power destabilizes the taker—foreshadowing the transformation into a rākṣasa-like state (dominated by grasping and contempt).