Shloka 42

Episode of King Vena: Deceptive Doctrine, Compassion, and the Contest over Dharma

Devanagari script

दयाहीनं चापलं स्यान्नास्ति धर्मस्तु तत्र हि । एते वेदा न वेदाः स्युर्दया यत्र न विद्यते

Transliteration

dayāhīnaṃ cāpalaṃ syānnāsti dharmastu tatra hi | ete vedā na vedāḥ syurdayā yatra na vidyate

Translation

Kung saan walang habag, sumisibol ang kapritso at pagkapabago-bago, at sa gayong lugar ay tunay na walang dharma. Maging ang mga Veda ay hindi magiging Veda kung saan hindi matatagpuan ang habag.

Word by Word

• दयाहीनम्: devoid of compassion
• दयाहीनम्: Karta (कर्ता) (as predicate-noun/adjective with 'स्यात्')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दया + हीन (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ: दयया हीनम् / दयायाः हीनम्

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

• अपलम्: unstable; fickle
• अपलम्: Karta (कर्ता) (as predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective with 'स्यात्'

• स्यात्: would be; becomes
• स्यात्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: Optative/benedictive mood (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद); 'would be/may be'

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-अव्यय)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• धर्मः: dharma
• धर्मः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), contrast/emphasis

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphatic/causal

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Demonstrative pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• वेदाः: Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-अव्यय)

• वेदाः: Vedas
• वेदाः: Pradhāna/Predicative (विशेष्य-निर्देश/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• स्युः: would be
• स्युः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• दया: compassion
• दया: Karta (कर्ता) (of 'विद्यते')
• Type: Noun
• Root: दया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: Relative adverb (सम्बन्ध-अव्यय)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-अव्यय)

• विद्यते: exists; is found
• विद्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु) (सत्तार्थे/लभ्यर्थे प्रयोगः)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद); 'exists/is found'

Speaker

Unknown (context not provided in the input excerpt)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: च+अपलम्→चापलम्; स्यात्+न+अस्ति→स्यान्नास्ति; धर्मः+तु→धर्मस्तु; स्युः+दया→स्युर्दया.

FAQs

What is the central ethical teaching of this verse?

It teaches that compassion (dayā) is essential to dharma; without it, righteousness collapses into instability and moral unreliability.

Why does the verse say the Vedas are ‘not Vedas’ without compassion?

It emphasizes that sacred knowledge is validated by its humane application; teachings divorced from compassion lose their spiritual authenticity and purpose.

How can this verse be applied in daily practice?

It urges aligning religious study, ritual, and decision-making with compassion—treating dayā as the practical test of whether one’s conduct is truly dharmic.