Shloka 54

Adhyaya 49 — Primordial Human Creation, the Rise of Desire, and the Origins of Settlements, Measures, and Agriculture

Sanskrit

याः शाखाः कल्पवृक्षाणां पूर्वमासन् द्विजोत्तम ।

ता एव शाखा गेहानां शालात्वं तेन तासु तत् ॥

Transliteration

yāḥ śākhāḥ kalpavṛkṣāṇāṃ pūrvam āsan dvijottama / tā eva śākhā gehānāṃ śālātvaṃ tena tāsu tat

Translation

โอ ผู้ประเสริฐในหมู่ทวิชะ กิ่งทั้งหลายที่ครั้งหนึ่งเคยเป็นของต้นกัลปพฤกษ์ผู้บันดาลปรารถนา กิ่งเหล่านั้นเองกลับเป็นกิ่งของเรือน; เพราะเหตุนั้นในกิ่งเหล่านั้นจึงบังเกิดภาวะ ‘ศาลา’ คือรูปแห่งห้องโถง/โครงเรือน

Word by Word

याःwhich (those)

शाखाःbranches

कल्प-वृक्षाणाम्of the wish-fulfilling trees

पूर्वम्formerly

आसन्were

द्विज-उत्तमO best of the twice-born

ताःthose

एवindeed

शाखाःbranches

गेहानाम्of houses

शाला-त्वम्the state of being halls/sheds

तेनby that/therefore

तासुin them

तत्that (result/state)

Speakers

Narrator addressing a brāhmaṇa interlocutor (‘dvijottama’); precise frame-speaker not stated in the provided excerpt

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

Cultural memoryMaterial cultureLoss of kalpavṛkṣasEtymology/terminology

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

When miraculous supports (kalpavṛkṣa abundance) disappear, their remnants are repurposed into human-made supports (homes); dharma adapts without denying loss.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Resonates with pratisarga: reorganization of life after a change in cosmic conditions, expressed here through language and building practice.

What is the esoteric significance?

The kalpavṛkṣa branch becoming ‘śālā’ symbolizes inner grace becoming inner discipline: what was once effortless boon becomes structured shelter through human agency.