Shloka 3

वालिनः और्ध्वदैहिकम्

Vali’s Funeral Rites and the Consolation of the Bereaved

Devanagari script

लोकवृत्तमनुष्ठेयं कृतं वो बाष्पमोक्षणम्।न कालादुत्तरं किञ्चित्कर्म शक्यमुपासितुम्4.25.3।।

Transliteration

lokavṛttam anuṣṭheyaṁ kṛtaṁ vo bāṣpamokṣaṇam |

na kālād uttaraṁ kiñcit karma śakyam upāsitum || 4.25.3 ||

Translation

“จงปฏิบัติตามจารีตที่โลกยึดถือให้ถูกต้องเถิด พวกเจ้าหลั่งน้ำตาพอแล้ว ครั้นกาลอันควรล่วงไปแล้ว กิจใด ๆ แม้เพียงเล็กน้อย ก็ยากจะทำให้ถูกต้องตามเวลาได้”

Word by Word

• lokavṛttam: worldly custom/way of the world
• lokavṛttam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka-vṛtta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular); तत्पुरुष-समासः (loka + vṛtta)

• anuṣṭheyam: to be performed
• anuṣṭheyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anu-√sthā (धातु) + ya (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: भाव्य/विधेय-विशेषण (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• kṛtam: (it) is done
• kṛtam: Kriyā (क्रिया/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; वाक्ये विधेयभावः (predicate)

• vaḥ: of you / for you (pl.)
• vaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Pronoun, Gen/Dat, Plural)

• bāṣpamokṣaṇam: shedding of tears
• bāṣpamokṣaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṣpa-mokṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (bāṣpa + mokṣaṇa)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• kālāt: after/from time (after lapse of time)
• kālāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Ablative, Singular)

• uttaram: later/further
• uttaram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular); विशेषणरूपेण

• kiñcit: any (even a little)
• kiñcit: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अनिश्चित-प्रत्ययान्त (indefinite), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अल्पार्थक-विशेषण

• karma: act/task
• karma: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• śakyam: possible
• śakyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √śak (धातु) + ya (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: शक्य-प्रत्ययान्त भाव्य-विशेषण (possible), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• upāsitum: to engage in / to perform
• upāsitum: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√ās (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त infinitive (तुमन्त), क्रियार्थक (purpose/action)

Context

'You have to go the worldly way. You have shed tears enough. Time is passing. You cannot perform the funeral after the lapse of appropriate time.

Characters & Entities

• kāla (proper time)
• karma (rite/duty)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma requires acting at the proper time: grief is natural, but duty—especially ritual duty—must be performed within the appropriate temporal and social framework.

What is the narrative situation?

Amid mourning for Vāli, the leader urges the mourners to move from lamentation to timely performance of the required rites.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Practical wisdom and restraint: guiding others from emotional excess toward disciplined action aligned with custom and timing.