Shloka 16

Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant

Devanagari script

गौतम उवाच वैवस्वती संयमनी जनानां यत्रानृतं नोच्यते यत्र सत्यम्‌ । यत्राबला बलिनं यातयन्ति तत्र त्वाहं हस्तिनं यातयिष्ये

Transliteration

gautama uvāca—vaivasvatī saṃyamanī janānāṃ yatrānṛtaṃ noc्यate yatra satyam | yatrābalā balinaṃ yātayanti tatra tvāhaṃ hastinaṃ yātayiṣye ||

Translation

โคตมะกล่าวว่า—มีนครชื่อ ‘สังยมณี’ อันเป็นของไววัสวตะ (ยมราช) ผู้คุมมนุษย์ไว้ในวินัย ที่นั่นไม่กล่าวเท็จ กล่าวแต่สัจจะเท่านั้น; และที่นั่นแม้ผู้อ่อนแอก็ยังเอาผิดผู้มีกำลังได้เมื่อทำอธรรม. ณ ที่นั้นเราจะบังคับให้เจ้าคืนช้างของเรา.

Word by Word

• गौतमः: Gautama
• गौतमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular

• वैवस्वती: Vaivasvatī (Yama’s city/realm)
• वैवस्वती: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैवस्वती
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• संयमनी: Saṃyamanī (name of the city)
• संयमनी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयमनी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• जनानाम्: of people
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र

• अनृतम्: falsehood
• अनृतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• उच्यते: is spoken
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Present, Passive, 3rd, Singular

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र

• अबलाः: the weak (persons)
• अबलाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अबल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बलिनम्: the strong man
• बलिनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यातयन्ति: punish / make suffer
• Type: Verb
• Root: यातय्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• त्वा: you
• त्वा: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• हस्तिनम्: elephant
• हस्तिनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्तिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यातयिष्ये: I shall punish / make (him) suffer
• Type: Verb
• Root: यातय्
• Form: Future, 1st, Singular

Speaker

गौतम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Vaivasvata (Yama)
• Saṃyamanī
• elephant

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A just moral order exists where truth prevails and wrongdoing is answerable regardless of power; even the weak can obtain justice when dharma is upheld.

What is happening in the narrative?

Gautama invokes Yama’s city Saṃyamanī—depicted as a realm of truthful speech and impartial justice—and declares he will take the matter there to force restitution of his elephant.