Shloka 24

Devanagari script

जरितोवाच कि नु ज्येष्ठेन ते कार्य किमनन्तरजेन ते । कि वा मध्यमजातेन कि कनिष्ठेन वा पुन:,जरिता बोली--तुम्हें ज्येष्ठ पुत्रसे क्या काम है, उसके बादवालेसे भी क्‍या लेना है, मझले अथवा छोटे पुत्रसे भी तुम्हें क्या प्रयोजन है?

Transliteration

Jaritovāca: ki nu jyeṣṭhena te kāryaṃ kim anantarajena te | ki vā madhyamajātēna ki kaniṣṭhena vā punaḥ ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Jaritā: “Ano ang pakay mo sa panganay kong anak? Ano ang gusto mo sa isinilang pagkatapos niya? At ano ang kinalaman mo sa anak na nasa gitna—o sa bunso?”

Word by Word

• जरिता: Jarita (name of the speaker)
• जरिता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• नु: indeed/then (interrogative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु

• ज्येष्ठेन: with/by the eldest (son)
• ज्येष्ठेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• ते: for you/to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• कार्यम्: need/business/purpose
• कार्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अनन्तरजेन: with/by the next-born (son)
• अनन्तरजेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्तरज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• ते: for you/to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• मध्यमजातेन: with/by the middle-born (son)
• मध्यमजातेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यमजात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कनिष्ठेन: with/by the youngest (son)
• कनिष्ठेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कनिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• पुनः: again/further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

Speaker

मन्दपाल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Jaritā
• jyeṣṭha-putra (eldest son)
• anantaraja-putra (next-born son)
• madhyamajāta-putra (middle-born son)
• kaniṣṭha-putra (youngest son)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights vigilant discernment (viveka) and parental responsibility: before yielding access to one’s dependents, one should question motives and ensure protection aligns with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Jaritā confronts the other party by pointedly asking which of her sons he seeks—eldest, next-born, middle, or youngest—thereby challenging his intentions and signaling concern for her children’s safety.