Śarīram Ādyam — The Body is the First Instrument of Dharma
शरीरमाद्यं खलु धर्मसाधनम्
Kālidāsa · Kumārasambhava 5.33 · NCERT Class 6 · Ruchira Part 1
Source: Kumārasambhava by Kālidāsa (5th century CE)
Key Points to Remember
- ▸शरीर = √śri (to depend) — the body as what the self depends upon
- ▸आद्य = ādi (beginning) — first, foundational
- ▸खलु = emphatic avyaya — "indeed, certainly" (adds strong assertion)
- ▸धर्मसाधन = Tatpurusha compound — "instrument of dharma"
The Verse
शरीरमाद्यं खलु धर्मसाधनम्
śarīram ādyam khalu dharma-sādhanam
The body (śarīram) is indeed (khalu) the first (ādyam) instrument (sādhanam) of dharma.
— Kumārasambhava 5.33 — Kālidāsa
Word-by-Word Meaning
| Sanskrit | Transliteration | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| शरीरम् | śarīram | the body | √śri (to depend, to lean on) — that on which the self depends; neuter noun |
| आद्यम् | ādyam | first, primary, fundamental | ādi (beginning) + adjective suffix — "belonging to the beginning" |
| खलु | khalu | indeed, certainly, truly | an indeclinable (avyaya) — emphatic particle that stresses the assertion |
| धर्मसाधनम् | dharma-sādhanam | instrument of dharma, means of dharma | dharma + sādhana (from √sādh — to accomplish) — compound word (Tatpurusha Samāsa) |
Kālidāsa wrote this about Pārvati doing tapas (austerities). She is told: you cannot fulfil dharma without first caring for your body. This is Sanskrit's practical philosophy — not body-denying but body-honoring.
Exercises (3)
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blanks
1. शरीरम् (śarīram) comes from √śri which means _______.
Show answer
to depend, to lean on
2. खलु (khalu) is an indeclinable word called _______ in Sanskrit grammar.
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avyaya (अव्यय)
3. धर्मसाधनम् is a compound of dharma + _______ (means/instrument).
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sādhana
4. आद्यम् (ādyam) means _______.
Show answer
first, primary
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct answer
1. Who wrote the line "śarīram ādyam khalu dharma-sādhanam"?
Show answer
Kālidāsa
2. What is the grammatical type of the compound "dharma-sādhanam"?
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Tatpurusha
3. The shloka says the body is the _____ instrument of dharma.
Show answer
first
Exercise 3: Short Answer
Answer in your own words
1. NCERT Class 6 opens with this line. Why would a textbook begin with a sentence about the body and dharma?
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2. "Sādhana" means instrument or means. What is your "sādhana" for learning Sanskrit?
Show answer
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