Shloka 1

Dehānta (Cyavana) and Upapatti: Kāśyapa’s Questions and the Siddha’s Account of Death, Pain, and Karmic Re-embodiment

Devanagari script

ऑपनऔक्षाता बछ। जज स::ॉ!

Transliteration

vāyudeva uvāca | tataḥ tasyopasaṅgṛhya pādau praśnān sudurvacān | papraccha tāñ śva dharmān sa prāha dharmabhūtāṃ varaḥ |

Translation

风神说道：其后，迦叶波——诸义行者之最胜——走近那位已成就的大魂，恭敬地抱持其双足，提出许多关于达摩的疑问，那些问题的答案难以言说。于是，那位具足达摩的最上者便开始作答。

Word by Word

• वायुदेवः: Vāyudeva (the Wind-god)
• वायुदेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायुदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular

• ततः: then; thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• तस्य: of him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• उपसंगृह्य: having grasped; having held
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-सम्-ग्रह्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• पादौ: the two feet
• पादौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• प्रश्नान्: questions
• प्रश्नान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सुदुर्वचान्: very hard to answer
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदुर्वच
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-छ् (पृच्छ्)
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• श्वः: tomorrow
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्वः

• धर्मान्: duties; dharmas
• धर्मान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्राह: said; replied
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आह् (अह्/ब्रू)
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular

• धर्मभूताम्: being/constituting dharma (righteous)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मभूत
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• वरः: the best; the excellent one
• वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva
• Kāśyapa
• a Siddha Mahātmā (accomplished great-souled sage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames dharma as subtle and difficult to articulate, best approached through humility and respectful inquiry; true understanding arises when a seeker reveres the wise and asks sincere, dharma-centered questions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kāśyapa respectfully takes hold of the Siddha sage’s feet and poses many challenging questions about dharma; the righteous, excellent speaker then begins to answer.