Shloka 52

Adhyaya 3 — The Dharmapakshis’ Past-Life Curse and Indra’s Test of Truthfulness

Sanskrit

भो भो विप्रेन्द्र बुध्यस्व बुद्ध्या बोध्यं बुधात्मक ।

जिज्ञासार्थं मयायं ते अपराधः कृतोऽनघ ॥

Transliteration

bho bho viprendra budhyasva buddhyā bodhyaṃ budhātmaka /

jijñāsārthaṃ mayāyaṃ te aparādhaḥ kṛto 'nagha //

Translation

“噢，婆罗门中最胜者，当觉悟而明了；可知之境当由理智而知，噢，以智慧为性者。为求探问，我对你犯下此过，噢，无瑕者。”

Word by Word

• bho: O!
• bho: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bho (अव्यय)
• Form: Vocative particle (सम्बोधन-निपात)

• bho: O!
• bho: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bho (अव्यय)
• Form: Vocative particle (सम्बोधन-निपात)

• viprendra: O best of Brahmins
• viprendra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• budhyasva: understand; awaken
• budhyasva: Kriyā (आज्ञार्थ-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √budh (बुध् धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• buddhyā: by intellect
• buddhyā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• bodhyam: what is to be understood
• bodhyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √budh (बुध् धातु) + ya (यत्/णिच्य)
• Form: Gerundive (तव्यत्/यत्), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); ‘that which should be understood’ (बोध्यम्)

• budhātmaka: O wise-natured one
• budhātmaka: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); karmadhāraya: budha-ātmaka = ‘whose nature is wise/intelligent’ (बुधः आत्मा यस्य)

• jijñāsārtham: for the sake of inquiry
• jijñāsārtham: Hetu (हेतु/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jijñāsā (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); compound: jijñāsā-artha = ‘for the purpose of inquiry’ (जिज्ञासायाः अर्थम्)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartṛ-karaṇa (कर्ता-निर्देश/agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)

• aparādhaḥ: offense; fault
• aparādhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject of kṛtaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aparādha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• kṛtaḥ: done; committed
• kṛtaḥ: Kriyā (भाव/कृत्य-निर्देश)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with aparādhaḥ

• anagha: O sinless one
• anagha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anagha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

Speakers

• Unspecified in prompt (verse is in direct address to a 'viprendra'; likely within the chapter’s dialogue frame)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Guru–śiṣya etiquette
• Jijñāsā (inquiry as a motive)
• Prāyaścitta-bhāva (acknowledging an offense)
• Epistemology (knowing through buddhi)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse models a dharmic posture toward knowledge: inquiry (jijñāsā) is legitimate, but it must be coupled with humility and accountability. Even when a provocation is made to elicit teaching, one should acknowledge any breach of decorum and reaffirm respect for the learned (viprendra).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse is not directly sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita content; it functions as framing dialogue (ākhyāna-prastāva) that supports transmission of purāṇic material rather than constituting one of the five lakṣaṇas itself.

What is the esoteric significance?

“Bodhyam … buddhyā” can be read as an inner instruction: awakening (budhyasva) is the turning of buddhi toward the bodhya (truth). The admitted ‘offense’ signifies the friction that sometimes precipitates insight—yet it must resolve into purity of intention and reverence (anagha) for the locus of wisdom.