Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 2

कुण्डधारोपाख्यानम्

Kuṇḍadhāra-Upākhyāna: Dharma’s Superiority over Wealth and Desire

एते शकुन्ता बहव: समन्ताद्‌ विचरन्ति ह । तवोत्तमाज़े सम्भूता: श्येनाश्चान्याश्न जातय:,देखो! आकाशमें ये जो बहुत-से श्येन एवं दूसरी जातियोंके पक्षी चारों ओर विचरण कर रहे हैं, इनमें तुम्हारे सिरपर उत्पन्न हुए पक्षी भी हैं

ete śakuntā bahavaḥ samantād vicaranti ha | tavottamāṅge sambhūtāḥ śyenāś cānyāś ca jāṭayaḥ ||

จูลาธารกล่าวว่า “ดูเถิด รอบด้านมีนกมากมายเคลื่อนไหวอยู่บนท้องฟ้า ทั้งเหยี่ยวและนกชนิดอื่น ๆ ด้วย ในหมู่พวกนั้นมีนกที่บังเกิดขึ้นบนศีรษะของเจ้าเองอยู่”

एतेthese
एते:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootएतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
शकुन्ताःbirds
शकुन्ताः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशकुन्त
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
बहवःmany
बहवः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootबहु
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
समन्तात्on all sides, all around
समन्तात्:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसमन्तात्
विचरन्तिwander, move about
विचरन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootवि-चर्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
indeed (emphasis)
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
तवof you, your
तव:
Sambandha
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद्
FormGenitive, Singular
उत्तमाङ्गेon the head (lit. on the best limb)
उत्तमाङ्गे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootउत्तमाङ्ग
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
सम्भूताःarisen, produced, born
सम्भूताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसम्-भू
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)
श्येनाःhawks/falcons
श्येनाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootश्येन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
अन्याःother
अन्याः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअन्य
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
जातयःkinds, species
जातयः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootजाति
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural

चुलाधार उवाच

चुलाधार (Chūlādhāra)
शकुन्त (birds)
श्येन (hawks/falcons)

Educational Q&A

The verse points to the intimate interconnectedness between a person and other living beings: even creatures that seem separate—birds circling in the sky—are said to have ‘arisen’ from one’s own body. This supports an ethical outlook of humility and compassion, undermining pride and harshness toward other lives.

Chūlādhāra draws the listener’s attention to the birds flying around—hawks and other species—and remarks that some are ‘born on your head,’ i.e., produced from the body (such as from the head/crown). The statement functions as a vivid, corrective observation meant to reframe the listener’s attitude toward living beings.