Shloka 28

सम्पातिवाक्यम्

Sampāti’s Counsel and the Revelation of Laṅkā

Devanagari script

बलवीर्योपपन्नानां रूपयौवनशालिनाम्।।4.58.28।।षष्ठस्तु पन्था हंसानां वैनतेयगतिः परा।वैनतेयाच्च नो जन्म सर्वेषां वानरर्षभाः।।4.58.29।।

Transliteration

balavīryopapannānāṃ rūpayauvanaśālinām || 4.58.28 ||

ṣaṣṭhas tu panthā haṃsānāṃ vainateya-gatiḥ parā |

vainateyāc ca no janma sarveṣāṃ vānararṣabhāḥ || 4.58.29 ||

Translation

బలవీర్యసంపన్నులు, రూపయౌవనశాలులు అయిన హంసలకు ఆరవ మార్గం. దానికన్నా పైగా వైనతేయుడు (గరుడుడు) యొక్క పరమ గతి ఉంది. అయితే, ఓ వానరశ్రేష్ఠులారా, మా జన్మ వైనతేయుని నుండి కాదు.

Word by Word

• yat: whatever
• yat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; relative = 'whatever'

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta; contrast/emphasis

• śakyam: possible
• śakyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicate adjective (possible/feasible)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (कर्ता/agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana

• kartum: to do
• kartum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु) + tumun (तुमुन्)
• Form: Tumunanta infinitive; complement of śakyam

• vāgbuddhiguṇavartinā: by one endowed with speech, intellect, and qualities
• vāgbuddhiguṇavartinā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāk (प्रातिपदिक) + buddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + vartin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: vāk-buddhi-guṇeṣu vartī; Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of mayā (instrumental epithet)

• śrūyatām: let it be heard; please listen
• śrūyatām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: Loṭ (लोट्, imperative), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana, ātmanepada; impersonal passive-style: 'let it be heard'

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; object of pravakṣyāmi

• pravakṣyāmi: I will explain/tell
• pravakṣyāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-vac (प्र+वच् धातु)
• Form: Luṭ (लुट्, periphrastic future) / Bhaviṣyat (future sense), Uttama-puruṣa, Ekavacana, parasmaipada

• bhavatām: of you (hon.)
• bhavatām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (भवत् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Bahuvacana; respectful 'you'

• pauruṣāśrayam: based on your prowess
• pauruṣāśrayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pauruṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: pauruṣasya āśrayaḥ; Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; object/appositive to tat

Context

'By intuition I know you would see Sita and return. On the first plane you will see sparrows and birds which live on grain. On the second, you will see crows living on the food offered to the dead and birds living on the fruits of trees, and then cocks, cranes and kraunchas moving on the third plane, on the fourth, hawks and falcons and on the fifth, vultures.

Characters & Entities

• haṃsa (swans)
• Vainateya (Garuḍa)
• vānaras

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma is honesty about status and capability: Sampāti recognizes higher powers (Garuḍa’s course) while affirming his group’s true lineage—truthful speech that prevents delusion and arrogance.

What is the narrative situation?

Continuing his explanation of aerial strata, Sampāti places swans in a higher course and notes an even higher course associated with Garuḍa, clarifying that the present group does not belong to that exalted line.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Satya (truthfulness) paired with humility: acknowledging greatness without falsely claiming it.