Shloka 34

Adhyaya 28 — Alarka Inquires into Varna and Ashrama Dharma; Madalasa Defines the Fourfold Duties

Sanskrit

यश्चोल्लङ्घ्य स्वकं धर्मं स्ववर्णाश्रमसंज्ञितम् । नरोऽन्यथा प्रवर्तेत स दण्ड्यो भूभृतो भवेत् ॥

Transliteration

yaś collaṅghya svakaṃ dharmaṃ svavarṇāśramasaṃjñitam | naro 'nyathā pravarteta sa daṇḍyo bhūbhṛto bhavet ||

Translation

Và người nào, vượt khỏi bổn phận của chính mình—được quy định bởi varṇa và āśrama—mà hành xử khác đi, thì đáng bị trừng phạt; người ấy trở nên chịu sự trị phạt của nhà vua.

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who (he who)
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction

• ullaṅghya: having transgressed
• ullaṅghya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-√laṅgh (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त), avyaya-kriyā (indeclinable verbal): 'having transgressed'

• svakam: one’s own
• svakam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; qualifies dharmam

• dharmam: duty; dharma
• dharmam: Karma (कर्म/object of ullaṅghya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• sva-varṇa-āśrama-saṃjñitam: designated as belonging to one’s own varṇa and āśrama
• sva-varṇa-āśrama-saṃjñitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrama (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃjñita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; kṛdanta adjective from saṃ-√jñā + kta: saṃjñita 'designated/called'; Tatpuruṣa: sva-varṇa-āśrama-saṃjñitaḥ (designated as one’s own varṇa and āśrama), agreeing with dharmam

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• anyathā: otherwise; differently
• anyathā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• pravarteta: should act/proceed
• pravarteta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vṛt (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Prathama puruṣa, Ekavacana; ātmanepada

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• daṇḍyaḥ: punishable
• daṇḍyaḥ: Kriyā-pūraka (क्रियापूरक/predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daṇḍya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicate adjective

• bhū-bhṛtaḥ: of the king (earth-bearer)
• bhū-bhṛtaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive: by/of the king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक) + bhṛt (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti, Ekavacana; Tatpuruṣa: bhūmim bhṛt (earth-bearer = king)

• bhavet: would be; should be
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative), Prathama puruṣa, Ekavacana; parasmaipada

Speakers

• Not specified in input

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Social order
• Royal authority (daṇḍa-nīti)
• Consequences of adharmic conduct

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma is treated as publicly enforceable order: persistent deviation from one’s varṇāśrama-defined obligations is not merely personal fault but a civic breach warranting royal correction.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Normative political-ethical teaching (daṇḍa aligned to dharma), ancillary to pancalakṣaṇa narrative categories.

What is the esoteric significance?

On an inner reading, ‘the king’s punishment’ can symbolize the inevitable corrective force of karma and conscience when one violates one’s true nature (svadharma).