Shloka 35

मोक्षोपाय-निर्णयः

Determination of the Means to Liberation

Devanagari script

अथ प्रथमकल्पेन सत्यवन्‌ संकरो भवेत्‌ | आयु: शक्ति च कालं॑ च निर्दिश्य तप आदिशेत्‌

Transliteration

atha prathamakalpena satyavān saṅkaro bhavet | āyuḥ śaktiṃ ca kālaṃ ca nirdiśya tapa ādiśet |

Translation

Humatsena nói: “Rồi đây, ngay theo phép đầu tiên (và nhẹ nhất), cả người như Satyavān cũng có thể rơi vào sự lẫn lộn giữa chính và tà. Vì thế, sau khi xét đến tuổi thọ, sức lực của kẻ phạm lỗi và hoàn cảnh của thời thế, nhà vua phải định ra một kỷ luật trừng phạt cho thích đáng.”

Word by Word

• अथ: then/now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• प्रथम-कल्पेन: by/according to the first procedure/arrangement
• प्रथम-कल्पेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रथमकल्प
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सत्यवान्: Satyavān
• सत्यवान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्यवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संकरः: mixture/confusion
• संकरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संकर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवेत्: would be/should occur
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Optative, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• आयुः: lifespan
• आयुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शक्तिम्: strength/capacity
• शक्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कालम्: time/occasion
• कालम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• निर्दिश्य: having considered/indicated
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्दिश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• तपः: penance/austerity
• तपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आदिशेत्: should prescribe/should order
• Type: Verb
• Root: आदिश्
• Form: Optative, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

हुमत्सेन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Humatsena
• Satyavān
• king (rājā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Punishment should be proportionate and context-sensitive: the ruler must weigh the offender’s age/lifespan, strength/capacity, and the time/circumstances, and then prescribe a corrective discipline (tapas) that prevents a harmful mixing of dharma and adharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Humatsena is instructing on rajadharma (the king’s duty of governance). He warns that even a ‘Satyavān’ can slip into moral confusion, so the king must respond with measured, appropriate punishment after assessing relevant personal and situational factors.