Shloka 10

सम्पातिवाक्यम्

Sampati’s Intelligence Report on Sita’s Abduction

Devanagari script

स कदाचित्क्षुधार्तस्य ममाहाराभिकाङ्क्षिणः।गतसूर्येऽहनि प्राप्तो मम पुत्रो ह्यनामिषः।।।।

Transliteration

sa kadācit kṣudhārtasya mamāhārābhikāṅkṣiṇaḥ | gatasūrye 'hani prāpto mama putro hy anāmiṣaḥ || 4.59.10 ||

Translation

Có lần, khi ta bị cơn đói dày vò, lòng khát khao thức ăn, thì con trai ta trở về sau lúc mặt trời đã lặn—mà không mang theo chút thịt nào.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular

• kadācit: once
• kadācit: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb of time (कालवाचक)

• kṣudhā-ārtasya: of me, afflicted by hunger
• kṣudhā-ārtasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣudhā (प्रातिपदिक) + ārta (कृदन्त; √ṛ/ard? here ārta as adjective ‘afflicted’)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘afflicted by hunger’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies mama (me)

• mama: of me; my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Genitive (6), Singular

• āhāra-abhikāṅkṣiṇaḥ: of me, longing for food
• āhāra-abhikāṅkṣiṇaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āhāra (प्रातिपदिक) + abhikāṅkṣin (कृदन्त; abhi-√kāṅkṣ काङ्क्ष्)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa ‘desiring food’; abhikāṅkṣin = present participial adjective (शतृ/agent-noun like) from abhi-√kāṅkṣ; Masculine, Genitive (6), Singular; qualifies mama (me)

• gata-sūrye: when the sun had set
• gata-sūrye: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gata (कृदन्त; √gam गम्) + sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Locative absolute (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध/सप्तमी-absolute): ‘when the sun had set’; Neuter/Masculine Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• ahani: on the day
• ahani: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• prāptaḥ: arrived
• prāptaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prāpta (कृदन्त; pra-√āp आप्)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/PPP) of pra-√āp ‘to reach/arrive’; Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; predicate with putraḥ

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Genitive (6), Singular

• putraḥ: son
• putraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle (emphasis/causal)

• anāmiṣaḥ: without meat
• anāmiṣaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an- (उपसर्ग/नञ्) + āmiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nañ-tatpuruṣa (नञ्-तत्पुरुष) as negative formation ‘without meat’; Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; qualifies putraḥ

Context

'Once my son came to me without meat after sunset while I was feeling hungry for food.

Characters & Entities

• Sampāti
• Sampāti’s son

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma under scarcity: the verse frames a truthful account of deprivation, preparing for a lesson about restraint, duty, and right conduct even when hungry.

What is the narrative situation?

Sampāti begins a backstory: while he was hungry, his son returned empty-handed after sunset, prompting an explanation.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Endurance (kṣamā/śakti): Sampāti survives hardship and narrates it clearly, without distortion.