Shloka 34

Adhyaya 7 — Harishchandra Tested by Vishvamitra: The Gift of the Kingdom and the Pandava Curse-Backstory

Sanskrit

श्रोणीसूत्रादिसकलं मुक्त्वा भूषणसंग्रहम् ।

तरुवल्कलमाबध्य सह पत्न्या सुतेन च ॥

Transliteration

śroṇīsūtrādisakalaṃ muktvā bhūṣaṇasaṃgraham | taruvalkalamābadhya saha patnyā sutena ca ||

Translation

เขาสละเครื่องประดับทั้งปวง เริ่มแต่สายรัดเอว (ศฺโรณี-สูตระ) แล้วนุ่งห่มผ้าทำด้วยเปลือกไม้ พร้อมด้วยภรรยาและบุตรชาย

Word by Word

• श्रोणीसूत्रादि: hip-girdle and the like
• श्रोणीसूत्रादि: Karma (कर्म/Object; part of what is abandoned)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रोणीसूत्र + आदि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार), प्रातिपदिक; ‘आदि’ अन्तेन तत्पुरुष (X-आदि = etc. of X)

• सकलम्: all/entire
• सकलम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• मुक्त्वा: having left/abandoned
• मुक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (having abandoned)

• भूषणसंग्रहम्: collection of ornaments
• भूषणसंग्रहम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूषण + संग्रह (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूषणानां संग्रहः)

• तरुवल्कलम्: tree-bark garment
• तरुवल्कलम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरु + वल्कल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तरूणां वल्कलम्)

• आबध्य: having bound/put on
• आबध्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + बन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having tied on)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahartha (सहार्थ/Association)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable: with)

• पत्न्या: with (his) wife
• पत्न्या: Sahartha (सहार्थ/Associate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुतेन: with (his) son
• सुतेन: Sahartha (सहार्थ/Associate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speakers

• Narratorial verse (not a direct speech in this śloka as presented)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Renunciation
• Austerity (tapas)
• Householder-to-forest transition
• Detachment from luxury

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse presents detachment (vairāgya) in action: relinquishing adornments that signify status and pleasure, and adopting austere bark-clothing. Notably, the shift is portrayed as a disciplined life-change undertaken along with one’s family, emphasizing that dharmic transformation can be collective and deliberate, not merely symbolic.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse aligns most closely with Vaṃśānucarita / Carita (accounts of persons and conduct) rather than sarga/pratisarga/manvantara. It is a narrative-moral vignette illustrating exemplary conduct within the Purāṇic storytelling framework.

What is the esoteric significance?

Ornaments (bhūṣaṇa) can symbolize identification with the body and social persona, while bark-cloth (valkala) symbolizes stripping down to essentials and turning inward. The binding on of valkala suggests a ‘vow’ (saṃkalpa) of restraint: the external simplification mirrors an internal reorientation toward tapas and dharma.