Shloka 15
Vasiṣṭhasya śokaḥ, Vipāśā–Śatadrū-nāmākaraṇam, Kalmāṣapādasya bhaya-prasaṅgaḥ (Ādi Parva 167)
Devanagari script
ज्येष्ठो भ्राता ममागृह्नाद् विचरन् गहने वने । अपरिज्ञातशौचायां भूमौ निपतितं फलम्,तदनन्तर एक वर्ष बीतनेपर द्विजश्रेष्ठ उपयाजने उपयुक्त अवसरपर मधुर वाणीमें द्रपदसे कहा--'राजन! मेरे बड़े भाई याज एक समय घने वनमें विचर रहे थे। उन्होंने एक ऐसी जमीनपर गिरे हुए फलको उठा लिया, जिसकी शुद्धिके सम्बन्धमें कुछ भी पता नहीं था
Transliteration
jyeṣṭho bhrātā mamāgṛhṇād vicarann gahane vane | aparijñātaśaucāyāṃ bhūmau nipatitaṃ phalam |
Translation
婆罗门说道：“我的长兄在密林中游行时，拾起了一枚落在地上的果子——那地面的洁净与否，按仪则并不可知。此举看似细微，却引出一桩关于达摩的疑问：当一物的仪式清净与其正当归属皆未明时，是否可以受取并食用？”
Word by Word
ज्येष्ठःeldest
ज्येष्ठः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootज्येष्ठ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
भ्राताbrother
भ्राता:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootभ्रातृ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
ममof me / my
मम:
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormGenitive, Singular
अगृह्णात्took / seized
अगृह्णात्:
TypeVerb
Rootग्रह्
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
विचरन्wandering
विचरन्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootचर्
Formशतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
गहनेin a dense (place)
गहने:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootगहन
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
वनेin the forest
वने:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootवन
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
अपरिज्ञातशौचायाम्on (a ground) of unknown purity
अपरिज्ञातशौचायाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootअपरिज्ञातशौचा
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
भूमौon the ground
भूमौ:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootभूमि
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
निपतितम्fallen
निपतितम्:
TypeVerb
Rootनि-पत्
Formक्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Accusative, Singular
फलम्fruit
फलम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootफल
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
तत्that
तत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
अनन्तरम्afterwards / immediately after
अनन्तरम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअनन्तर
एकम्one
एकम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootएक
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
वर्षम्year
वर्षम्:
TypeNoun
Rootवर्ष
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
बीतनेhaving passed (after passing)
बीतने:
TypeVerb
Rootवि-इ (बी)
Formल्युट्/तुमुन्-प्राय (Hindi-influenced infinitival form; non-classical)
परafter
पर:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपर
द्विजश्रेष्ठःbest of the twice-born (brahmin)
द्विजश्रेष्ठः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootद्विजश्रेष्ठ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
उपयाजनेin/at the subsidiary sacrifice
उपयाजने:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootउपयाजन
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
उपयुक्तsuitable / appropriate
उपयुक्त:
TypeAdjective
Rootउप-युज्
Formक्त (past passive participle), Masculine/Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
अवसरoccasion
अवसर:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootअवसर
FormMasculine, Locative (intended) / Nominative (as written), Singular
परon / at
पर:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपर
मधुरsweet
मधुर:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootमधुर
FormFeminine (agreeing with वाणी), Instrumental (intended) / Locative (as written), Singular
वाणीspeech / words
वाणी:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootवाणी
FormFeminine, Instrumental (intended) / Nominative (as written), Singular
द्रपदfrom Drupada
द्रपद:
TypeProperNoun
Rootद्रुपद
FormMasculine, Ablative (intended) / Genitive (as written), Singular
सेto/with (Hindi 'se')
से:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootस (Hindi postposition)
कहाsaid
कहा:
TypeVerb
Rootकथ्
FormPerfect/Preterite (Hindi form; non-classical), 3rd, Singular
राजन्O king
राजन्:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
मेmy
मे:
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormGenitive, Singular
बड़ेelder/big (Hindi)
बड़े:
TypeAdjective
Rootबड़ा (Hindi)
भाईbrother (Hindi)
भाई:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootभ्राता/भ्रातृ (Hindi 'bhāī')
याजYāja (name)
याज:
Karta
TypeProperNoun
Rootयाज (proper name)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
एकonce
एक:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएक
समयtime
समय:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसमय
घनेin dense
घने:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootघन
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
वनforest
वन:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootवन
FormNeuter, Locative (intended) / Nominative (as written), Singular
मेंin (Hindi 'meṃ')
में:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमें (Hindi postposition)
विचरwas roaming
विचर:
TypeVerb
Rootचर्
FormImperfect/Present (Hindi narrative; non-classical), 3rd, Singular
रहेcontinued/was (Hindi auxiliary)
रहे:
TypeVerb
Rootरह् (Hindi)
थेwere (Hindi)
थे:
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (Hindi 'थे')
उन्होंनेhe (ergative, Hindi)
उन्होंने:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootस (Hindi pronoun)
एकa
एक:
TypeAdjective
Rootएक
ऐसीsuch (Hindi)
ऐसी:
TypeAdjective
Rootऐसा (Hindi)
जमीनground (Hindi)
जमीन:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootभूमि/जमीन (Hindi)
परon
पर:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपर
गिरेfallen (Hindi)
गिरे:
TypeVerb
Rootनि-पत् (Hindi participial)
हुएhaving been (Hindi)
हुए:
TypeVerb
Rootभू (Hindi participial)
फलfruit
फल:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootफल
कोobject marker (Hindi)
को:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootको (Hindi postposition)
उठाpicked up (Hindi)
उठा:
TypeVerb
Rootउद्-स्था/उत्-हृ (Hindi 'uṭhā')
लियाtook (Hindi)
लिया:
TypeVerb
Rootलभ्/ग्रह् (Hindi auxiliary)
जिसकीwhose (Hindi)
जिसकी:
TypePronoun
Rootयद् (Hindi relative)
शुद्धिpurity
शुद्धि:
TypeNoun
Rootशुद्धि
केof (Hindi)
के:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootके (Hindi postposition)
सम्बन्धrelation/regarding
सम्बन्ध:
TypeNoun
Rootसम्बन्ध
मेंin (Hindi)
में:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमें (Hindi postposition)
कुछanything/something
कुछ:
TypePronoun
Rootकिञ्चित् (Hindi 'kuch')
भीeven/also
भी:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (Hindi 'bhī')
पताknowledge/info (Hindi)
पता:
TypeNoun
Rootज्ञात (Hindi 'patā')
नहींnot (Hindi)
नहीं:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (Hindi 'nahīṃ')
थाwas (Hindi)
था:
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (Hindi 'thā')
Speaker
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Characters & Entities
ब
ब्राह्मण (the Brahmin speaker)ज
ज्येष्ठ भ्राता (eldest brother)व
वन (dense forest)भ
भूमि (ground/soil)फ
फल (fallen fruit)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds śauca (purity) and moral caution: when the cleanliness or rightful status of something (especially food) is uncertain, a dharmic person should be careful about accepting it, since small lapses can have ethical and ritual consequences.
A Brahmin recounts an incident about his elder brother: while wandering in a dense forest, the brother picked up a fruit that had fallen on ground of unknown purity, setting up a discussion about proper conduct and the implications of taking what is not clearly permissible.