16.7
प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः ।
न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते ॥
pravṛttiṃ ca nivṛttiṃ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ
na śaucaṃ nāpi cācāro na satyaṃ teṣu vidyate
Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) begins the portrait he promised in 16.6.
The verse
Demonic people do not know engaging or withdrawal, and purity is not in them, nor right conduct, nor truth.
नेपालीमा
आसुरी मानिसले लाग्ने कुरा र हट्ने कुरा जान्दैनन्, र तिनीहरूमा न शुद्धता छ, न उचित आचरण, न सत्य।
Where it sits
The demonic creation is now people, and the first thing said of them is what they do not know and what is not found in them. Truth, which stood on the divine list, is absent here.
Split: प्रवृत्तिम् + च + निवृत्तिम् + च + जनाः + न + विदुः + आसुराः + न + शौचम् + न + अपि + च + आचारः + न + सत्यम् + तेषु + विद्यते
pravṛttim + ca + nivṛttim + ca + janāḥ + na + viduḥ + āsurāḥ + na + śaucam + na + api + ca + ācāraḥ + na + satyam + teṣu + vidyate
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| प्रवृत्तिम् | pravṛttim | accusative singular | engaging. The turn toward action. |
| च | ca | indeclinable | and. |
| निवृत्तिम् | nivṛttim | accusative singular | withdrawal. The turn back from action. |
| च | ca | indeclinable | and. |
| जनाः | janāḥ | nominative plural | people. |
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| विदुः | viduḥ | perfect, 3rd plural of vid (विद्) | they know. |
| आसुराः | āsurāḥ | nominative plural | demonic. Agrees with janāḥ (जनाः). |
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| शौचम् | śaucam | nominative singular neuter | purity. The same word as in 16.3. |
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| अपि | api | indeclinable | also. Even. |
| च | ca | indeclinable | and. |
| आचारः | ācāraḥ | nominative singular | right conduct. The practiced way. |
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| सत्यम् | satyam | nominative singular neuter | truth. |
| तेषु | teṣu | locative plural | in them. |
| विद्यते | vidyate | present, 3rd singular middle of vid (विद्) | it is found. It exists. |
The phrases
pravṛttim ca nivṛttim ca janāḥ na viduḥ āsurāḥ (प्रवृत्तिम् च निवृत्तिम् च जनाः न विदुः आसुराः) is what they do not know. Engaging and withdrawal, the two turns. janāḥ (जनाः) and āsurāḥ (आसुराः) are both nominative. The adjective is delayed until after the verb. It is not the object.
na śaucam na api ca ācāraḥ na satyam teṣu vidyate (न शौचम् न अपि च आचारः न सत्यम् तेषु विद्यते) is what is absent. Purity is not in them, nor right conduct, nor truth. Three nominatives, one locative, one verb. vidyate (विद्यते) is singular with each thing that is not found.
Sanskrit in this line
विदुः + आसुराः viduḥ + āsurāḥ is recited vidur āsurāḥ (विदुरासुराः). Visarga after u (उ), before a vowel, becomes r (र्). āsurāḥ (आसुराः) is still nominative plural, agreeing with janāḥ (जनाः). The sandhi has hidden it behind the verb. Put the visarga back before you decide the case.
Say it back
Cover the English. Say the two accusatives they do not know, then the three things not found in them. If āsurāḥ (आसुराः) is taken as the object of viduḥ (विदुः), stay here.