Shloka 23

Adhyaya 16 — The Son’s Counsel on Renunciation and the Anasuya–Mandavya Episode: The Suspension of Sunrise and the Power of Pativrata

Sanskrit

वामः कामो मनुष्याणां बहुभिः प्रार्थ्यते च सा ।

ममाशक्तिश्च गमने सङ्कुलं प्रतिभाति मे ॥

Transliteration

vāmaḥ kāmo manuṣyāṇāṃ bahubhiḥ prārthyate ca sā / mamāśaktiś ca gamane saṅkulaṃ pratibhāti me

Translation

“人间的欲望本就反复无常，那女子又为众人所追求。至于我，实无力前往；此行在我看来艰难而纷乱，障碍重重。”

Word by Word

• वामः: capricious/wayward
• वामः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• कामः: desire
• कामः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मनुष्याणाम्: of men/humans
• मनुष्याणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• बहुभिः: by many
• बहुभिः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• प्रार्थ्यते: is entreated/asked for
• प्रार्थ्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√अर्थ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अशक्तिः: inability
• अशक्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गमने: in going/journeying
• गमने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• सङ्कुलम्: confused/entangled
• सङ्कुलम्: Karma (कर्म/Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सङ्कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• प्रतिभाति: appears/seems
• प्रतिभाति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-√भा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-एकवचन (Dative/Genitive singular) रूप; अत्र दत्तिवाचक (to me)

Speakers

• Narrative voice describing/quoting the husband (Kauśika) speaking to his wife

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "karuna", "secondaryRasa": "shringara", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Householder ethics
• Karmic consequence
• Desire and weakness

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Unchecked kāma (desire) produces self-contradiction and dependence: the husband admits incapacity yet presses forward through passion, setting the stage for harm to others and karmic fallout.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily outside the five (sarga, pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, vaṃśānucarita). It is best classified as vaṃśānucarita-style ethical narrative (didactic history/episode) rather than cosmology.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘entangled path’ (saṅkula-mārga) mirrors inner confusion: when desire leads, discernment dims, and one stumbles into the domain of tapas (ascetic power), provoking consequences.