Shloka 144

Śoka-śamana: Kṛṣṇa’s Consolation and Nārada’s Exempla to Sṛñjaya

Chapter 29

Devanagari script

स चेन्ममार सूंजय चतुर्भद्रतरस्त्वया । पुत्रात्‌ पुण्यतरश्वैव मा पुत्रमनुप्यथा:

Transliteration

sa cen mamāra sūñjaya caturbhadrataras tvayā | putrāt puṇyataras caiva mā putram anupyathāḥ ||

Translation

风神伐由说道：“苏恩阇耶啊，若那些具足四种吉祥德相——甚至胜过你——且功德远在你子之上的人也终归一死，那么你的儿子又何足惊异？因此，不要为已逝之子悲恸。”

Word by Word

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

• चेत्: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत्

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• अमराः: immortals; gods
• अमराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शृञ्जय: O Shrinjaya
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृञ्जय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• चतुर्भद्रतराः: more auspicious in four ways / possessing fourfold greater auspiciousness
• चतुर्भद्रतराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्भद्रतर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• त्वया: than you / by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• पुत्रात्: than (your) son / from the son
• पुत्रात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• पुण्यतराः: more virtuous / more meritorious
• पुण्यतराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्यतर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एव: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• मा: do not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा

• पुत्रम्: son
• पुत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनु: after / following
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु

• व्यथाः: grieve / be distressed
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यथ्
• Form: Imperative (prohibitive with मा), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva (Vāyu)
• Sūñjaya
• putra (son)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even those superior in auspicious qualities and merit are subject to death; therefore grief over a loved one’s death should be restrained by understanding impermanence and the universal law of mortality.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva addresses Sūñjaya, consoling him for his son’s death by pointing out that death has overtaken even more virtuous and excellently endowed persons; hence Sūñjaya should not lament.