Shloka 20

Adhyaya 23 — Ashvatara’s Vow for Madalasa and the Bestowal of Musical Science by Sarasvati

Sanskrit

तामृते मृगशावाक्षीं गन्धर्वतनयामहम् ।

न भोक्ष्ये योषितं काञ्चिदिति सत्यं मयोदितम् ॥

Transliteration

tām ṛte mṛgaśāvākṣīṃ gandharva-tanayām aham / na bhokṣye yoṣitaṃ kāñcid iti satyaṃ mayoditam

Translation

اس گندھرو کنیا، ہرن آنکھوں والی کو چھوڑ کر میں کسی اور عورت سے لذت نہ لوں گا؛ یہ میرا کہا ہوا سچ ہے۔

Word by Word

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Demonstrative pronoun (तद्-सर्वनाम), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• ṛte: except
• ṛte: Apadana/Exclusion (अपादान/Exclusion)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ṛte (अव्यय)
• Form: Preposition-like indeclinable (वर्जनार्थक-अव्यय) governing accusative

• mṛgaśāvākṣīm: fawn-eyed
• mṛgaśāvākṣīm: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛgaśāva-akṣī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi: mṛgaśāva (मृगशाव=fawn) + akṣī (अक्षी=eyed); Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• gandharvatanayām: daughter of a Gandharva
• gandharvatanayām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandharva-tanayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी): gandharvasya tanayā; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

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

• bhokṣye: I will enjoy / partake
• bhokṣye: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु)
• Form: Simple Future (लृट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• yoṣitam: a woman
• yoṣitam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoṣit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• kāñcit: any (woman)
• kāñcit: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Indefinite pronoun (किम्), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-निपात)

• satyam: truth
• satyam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartr-karana (कर्तृकरण/Agent-instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• uditam: spoken / uttered
• uditam: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vad (धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन) agreeing with satyam

Speakers

• Ṛtadhvaja

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Satya
• Marital exclusivity
• Vows
• Idealized conjugal dharma

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Truthfulness is made performative through vow: the ethical identity of the speaker is bound to satya, and conjugal restraint becomes a visible marker of inner discipline.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Vaṃśānucarita-type narrative ethics; not a cosmological or genealogical catalogue, but character-dharma in story form.

What is the esoteric significance?

The vow represents pratyāhāra-like withdrawal from sense-seeking alternatives; fidelity is treated as a concentration of desire into a single sanctioned channel, reducing fragmentation of mind.