Shloka 86

Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)

Devanagari script

यत्‌ तदुक्तं महद्‌ वाक्‍्यं कर्मणा तद्‌ विभाव्यताम्‌ | अकर्मणा कत्थितेन सन्त: कुपुरुषं विदु:

Transliteration

yat tad uktaṁ mahad vākyaṁ karmaṇā tad vibhāvyatām | akarmaṇā katthitena santaḥ kupuruṣaṁ viduḥ |

Translation

桑阇耶说道：你所说的豪言壮语，如今当以行动来印证。贤者视那不以作为立身、只凭空言夸口者为卑劣之人。

Word by Word

• यत्: which/that (what)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• उक्तम्: said/spoken
• उक्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: kta (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, Passive (participial)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• वाक्यम्: speech/statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• कर्मणा: by action/deed
• कर्मणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तत्: that (same statement)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• विभाव्यताम्: let it be demonstrated/made manifest
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + भू
• Form: Lot (imperative), Atmanepada, Third, Singular, Middle, passive/impersonal imperative sense: 'let it be made evident/realized'

• अकर्मणा: by non-action/without action
• अकर्मणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• कत्थितेन: by boasting/bragging talk
• कत्थितेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कत्थित
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• सन्तः: good people/the virtuous
• सन्तः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कुपुरुषम्: a bad man/worthless person
• कुपुरुषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुपुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विदुः: know/consider
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Lat (present indicative), Parasmaipada, Third, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Lofty speech must be validated by corresponding action; mere boasting without deeds is condemned by the virtuous as ignoble and cowardly.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya delivers a pointed rebuke: he challenges someone who has spoken grandly to demonstrate those claims through actual performance, contrasting true worth (karma) with empty talk (katthā).