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Shloka 65

Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala

Sanskrit

ब्राह्मण उवाच गृह्यतां वित्तमेतत् ते दीयतां बालको मम ।

स्त्रीपुंसोर्धर्मशास्त्रज्ञैः कृतमेव हि वेतनम् ।

शतं सहस्रं लक्षं च कोटिमूल्यं तथा परैः ॥

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca gṛhyatāṃ vittam etat te dīyatāṃ bālako mama |

strīpuṃsor dharmaśāstrajñaiḥ kṛtam eva hi vetanam |

śataṃ sahasraṃ lakṣaṃ ca koṭimūlyaṃ tathā paraiḥ ||

Translation

婆罗门说道：“请你收下这财物；请把我的男孩归还。因为在男女之事上，通晓《达摩论典》（Dharmaśāstra）者确已规定一种‘酬价/费用’作为合法的和解：有人定为一百，有人定为一千，有人定为一‘拉克’，还有人甚至定至一‘克若尔’之值。”

Word by Word
ब्राह्मणःthe Brahmin
ब्राह्मणः:
Kartā (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
TypeNoun
Rootbrāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद
गृह्यताम्let (it) be accepted/taken
गृह्यताम्:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootgrah (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (Imperative/लोट्), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive voice/कर्मणि), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); ‘let it be taken’
वित्तम्wealth, money
वित्तम्:
Karma (कर्म/गृह्यताम्)
TypeNoun
Rootvitta (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)
एतत्this
एतत्:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootetad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम-विशेषण (pronominal adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; modifies वित्तम्
तेto you
ते:
Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/चतुर्थी)
TypeNoun
Roottvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम (Pronoun), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/चतुर्थी), एकवचन (Singular)
दीयताम्let (it) be given
दीयताम्:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootdā (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (Imperative/लोट्), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive/कर्मणि), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); ‘let (him/it) be given’
बालकःthe boy
बालकः:
Karma (कर्म/दीयताम्—that which is to be given)
TypeNoun
Rootbālaka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)
ममmy
मम:
Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम (Pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular)
स्त्रीपुंसोःof woman and man (of wife and husband)
स्त्रीपुंसोः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootstrī-puṃs (प्रातिपदिक; स्त्री + पुंस्)
Formद्वन्द्व-समास (copulative), द्विवचनार्थे एकशेष; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), द्विवचन (Dual)
धर्मशास्त्रज्ञैःby the knowers of dharma-śāstra
धर्मशास्त्रज्ञैः:
Kartā (कर्ता/करण-भावे तृतीया)
TypeNoun
Rootdharma-śāstra-jña (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + शास्त्र + ज्ञ)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘by those who know dharma-śāstra’
कृतम्fixed, made (settled)
कृतम्:
Kriyā (क्रिया/भाव)
TypeVerb
Rootkṛ (धातु)
Formकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicate with implied ‘(it is) made/settled’
एवindeed, just
एव:
Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (Avyaya), अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)
हिindeed, for
हि:
Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (Avyaya), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ-निपात (particle: for/indeed)
वेतनम्wage, payment
वेतनम्:
Karma (कर्म/कृतम्—what is fixed)
TypeNoun
Rootvetana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)
शतम्a hundred
शतम्:
Karma (कर्म/वेतन-परिमाण)
TypeNoun
Rootśata (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (numeral)
सहस्रम्a thousand
सहस्रम्:
Karma (कर्म/परिमाण)
TypeNoun
Rootsahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक
लक्षम्a lakh (100,000)
लक्षम्:
Karma (कर्म/परिमाण)
TypeNoun
Rootlakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक
चand
च:
Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)
कोटिमूल्यम्worth a crore
कोटिमूल्यम्:
Karma (कर्म/परिमाण)
TypeNoun
Rootkoṭi-mūlya (प्रातिपदिक; कोटि + मूल्य)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘having value of a koṭi’
तथाlikewise, also
तथा:
Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottathā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, manner-adverb (तद्वत्/एवम्)
परैःby others
परैः:
Kartā (कर्ता/करण-भावे तृतीया)
TypeNoun
Rootpara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), बहुवचन (Plural)
Speakers
A Brāhmaṇa (speaker within the narrative frame of Adhyaya 8; not part of Devi Mahatmyam goddess-hymn dialogue)
Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes
DharmaSocial ethicsDharmaśāstra normsCompensation and dispute settlementHouseholder/legal conduct

FAQs

The verse frames conflict-resolution in social life through dharma-based settlement: rather than escalating harm, one offers compensation (vittam/vetanam) and seeks restitution (the return of the child). It also acknowledges plural legal opinions—different dharma authorities prescribe different amounts—implying that ethical adjudication considers precedent and context, not merely force.

This passage aligns most with ancillary dharma-upadeśa (ethical instruction) rather than the core pañcalakṣaṇa topics (sarga, pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, vaṃśānucarita). If mapped, it is best treated as a dharma/nīti insert within the Purāṇic narrative framework, not a sarga/manvantara/genealogy unit.

Symbolically, “vittam” offered for “bālaka” can be read as the attempt to restore what is truly valuable (innocence/lineage/future) through rightful means rather than coercion. The varying amounts (hundred to crore) suggest that dharma operates on gradations—inner intent and situational gravity determine the appropriate ‘price’ of restitution—pointing to a nuanced, context-sensitive moral order.

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