Shloka 3
Adhyaya 71 — The King’s Remorse and the Sage’s Counsel on the Necessity of a Wife
Sanskrit
सोऽहं कथं करिष्यामि त्यक्ता पत्नी मया हि सा ।
अथवा ज्ञानदृष्टिं तं पृच्छामि मुनिसत्तमम् ॥
Transliteration
so 'haṃ kathaṃ kariṣyāmi tyaktā patnī mayā hi sā / athavā jñānadṛṣṭiṃ taṃ pṛcchāmi munisattamam
Translation
“我当如何行事？毕竟我确已将她作为妻子弃绝。抑或——我将请问那最胜的圣贤，那具足智见者。”
Word by Word
सःhe
सः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
अहम्I
अहम्:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formप्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन
कथम्how?
कथम्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम् (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)
करिष्यामिshall do
करिष्यामि:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√कृ (धातु)
Formलृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
त्यक्ताabandoned, left
त्यक्ता:
Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate participle)
TypeVerb
Root√त्यज् (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ (passive sense)
पत्नीwife
पत्नी:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootपत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
मयाby me
मया:
Karana (करण/Instrument; agent in passive)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formतृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन
हिindeed, for
हि:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle), अवधारण/हेतु (emphasis/indeed)
साshe
सा:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
अथवाor else
अथवा:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)
ज्ञानदृष्टिम्the vision/insight of knowledge
ज्ञानदृष्टिम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootज्ञान-दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ज्ञानस्य दृष्टिः
तम्him
तम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
पृच्छामिI ask
पृच्छामि:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√प्रच्छ् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
मुनिसत्तमम्the best of sages
मुनिसत्तमम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object-apposition)
TypeNoun
Rootमुनि-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-भावः: मुनीनां सत्तमः (best among sages)
Speakers
King (inner deliberation) within Markandeya’s narration
Key Themes
Seeking counselAtonement and rectificationHumility before wisdomDharma in marital/social context
FAQs
When dharma is complex and one’s own actions are implicated, the proper course is to seek guidance from a realized authority (jñāna-dṛṣṭi), not to improvise self-justifying solutions.
A manvantara-era moral narrative illustrating dharma through the king’s recourse to a ṛṣi.
Turning to ‘knowledge-vision’ implies shifting from reactive emotion to discriminative insight (viveka), a movement from rājasic agitation toward sattvic clarity.