Shloka 28

Adhyaya 61 — The Second Manvantara Begins: The Brahmin’s Swift Journey and Varuthini’s Temptation on Himavat

Sanskrit

यदि प्रलेपो नष्टो मे विलीनो हिमवारिणा ।

शैलोऽतिदुर्गमश्चायं दूरञ्चाहमिहागतः ॥

Transliteration

yadi pralepo naṣṭo me vilīno himavāriṇā | śailo ’tidurgamaś cāyaṃ dūrañ cāham ihāgataḥ ||

Translation

“Nếu dấu vết ta đánh dấu (trên đường) bị mất—bị nước tuyết làm tan—và ngọn núi này vô cùng khó vượt qua, trong khi ta đã đến đây từ phương xa…”

Word by Word

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional particle (शर्तसूचक-अव्यय)

• pralepaḥ: plastering/coating
• pralepaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pralepa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• naṣṭaḥ: destroyed/lost
• naṣṭaḥ: Karta-pradhāna viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naṣṭa (कृदन्त; √naś नश्)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; agrees with pralepaḥ

• me: my/of me
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular; enclitic form

• vilīnaḥ: dissolved/merged
• vilīnaḥ: Karta-pradhāna viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vilīna (कृदन्त; √lī लि + vi-)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; agrees with pralepaḥ

• himavāriṇā: by snow-water/meltwater
• himavāriṇā: Karana (करणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: himavārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular; neuter/masculine stem in -in; Tatpuruṣa: hima + vāri (snow + water)

• śailaḥ: mountain
• śailaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• atidurgamaḥ: very difficult to traverse
• atidurgamaḥ: Karta-pradhāna viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati-durgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; karmadhāraya with intensifier: ati + durgama

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• dūram: far
• dūram: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरणम्; adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण द्वितीया)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय)

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

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (देशवाचक-अव्यय)

• āgataḥ: come/arrived
• āgataḥ: Karta-pradhāna viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āgata (कृदन्त; √gam गम् + ā-)
• Form: Past active participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; agrees with aham

Speakers

• Narrated by Mārkaṇḍeya; the wandering brāhmaṇa’s inner speech (implied)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Disorientation in wilderness
• Human limitation
• Search for guidance

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse foregrounds human dependence on clear ‘mārga’ (right direction). When external signs fail, one must seek competent guidance (guru/ṛṣi), rather than act from panic.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily Ākhyāna (narrative instruction) rather than sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa. It functions as an edifying episode within the Purāṇic story-flow.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘trail-mark washed away by snow-water’ can symbolize the loss of conventional supports (ritual certainty, social cues), pushing the seeker toward inner discernment and higher counsel.