Shloka 167

Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala

Sanskrit

नमो धर्माय महते नमः कृष्णाय वेधसे ।

परावराय शुद्धाय पुराणायाव्ययाय च ॥

Transliteration

namo dharmāya mahate namaḥ kṛṣṇāya vedhase / parāvarāya śuddhāya purāṇāyāvyayāya ca

Translation

นอบน้อมแด่มหาธรรม; นอบน้อมแด่กฤษณะผู้ทรงกำหนด (วิธาตฤ) นอบน้อมแด่พระผู้เป็นเจ้า ผู้เป็นนายแห่งเบื้องสูงและเบื้องต่ำ ผู้บริสุทธิ์ ผู้ดึกดำบรรพ์ และผู้ไม่เสื่อมสลาย

Word by Word

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/obeisance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Salutation particle (नमः-निपात), governs dative

• dharmāya: to Dharma
• dharmāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular

• mahate: great
• mahate: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular; agrees with dharmāya

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/obeisance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Salutation particle (नमः-निपात)

• kṛṣṇāya: to Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular

• vedhase: to the Creator (Vedhas)
• vedhase: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vedhas (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular

• parāvarāya: to the one who is beyond and within (higher and lower)
• parāvarāya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parāvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular; epithet

• śuddhāya: to the pure one
• śuddhāya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular

• purāṇāya: to the ancient one
• purāṇāya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular

• avyayāya: to the imperishable one
• avyayāya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय-अव्यय)

Speakers

• King’s stuti (as narrated)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Dharma
• Kṛṣṇa (as supreme epithet)
• Vidhātṛ/Vedhas (creator-ordainer aspect)

Key Themes

• Devotional praise
• Supreme principle as Dharma
• Transcendence and immanence (parāvara)
• Imperishability (avyaya)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma is praised not merely as social rule but as a ‘mahat’ (great) cosmic principle; devotion is directed to the pure, ancient, imperishable ground of order—implying that stability returns through alignment with that principle.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

A stuti embedded in carita; it supports dharma-teaching but is not itself sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa catalog.

What is the esoteric significance?

The cluster of epithets (śuddha, purāṇa, avyaya, parāvara) maps a Vedāntic-like vision: the ultimate is beyond change yet pervades all levels—invoked here as the hidden support when the king’s identity collapses.