Shloka 21

Adhyaya 15 — Karmic Retribution: Rebirths After Naraka and the King’s Compassion in Hell

Sanskrit

तिलपिण्याकसम्मिश्रमन्नं हृत्वा तु मूषिकः ।

घृतं हृत्वा च नकुलः काको मद्गुरजामिषम् ॥

Transliteration

tilapiṇyākasaṃmiśram annaṃ hṛtvā tu mūṣikaḥ | ghṛtaṃ hṛtvā ca nakulaḥ kāko madgurajāmiṣam ||

Translation

من سرقَ طعامًا ممزوجًا بكعكةِ السمسم صار فأرًا. ومن سرقَ السمنَ المصفّى (ghee) صار نمسًا. ومن سرقَ لحمَ madgu صار غرابًا.

Word by Word

• तिल-पिण्याक-सम्मिश्रम्: mixed with sesame-cake
• तिल-पिण्याक-सम्मिश्रम्: Karma (कर्म/Object-Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक) + पिण्याक (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्मिश्र (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष (तिलपिण्याकेन सम्मिश्रम् = mixed with sesame-cake)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हृत्वा: having stolen/taken away
• हृत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive), पूर्वकाल

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• मूषिकः: a mouse/rat
• मूषिकः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूषिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• घृतम्: ghee
• घृतम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हृत्वा: having stolen/taken away
• हृत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive), पूर्वकाल

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नकुलः: a mongoose
• नकुलः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• काकः: a crow
• काकः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मद्गुर-जामिषम्: madgura-fish flesh
• मद्गुर-जामिषम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्गुर (प्रातिपदिक) + आमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मद्गुरस्य आमिषम् = flesh of the fish 'madgura')

Speakers

• Not explicit in excerpt; didactic narration

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Theft and karmic correspondence
• Food ethics
• Dharma
• Rebirth taxonomy

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The passage uses ‘like-for-like’ moral imagination: the form one takes reflects the manner of one’s craving and theft. Rats are archetypal grain/food thieves; the mongoose is strongly associated with rich foods and households; the crow with scavenging meat.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Dharma-anuśāsana/karmaphala catalogue; not the cosmological fivefold definition.

What is the esoteric significance?

Specificity suggests karma is not merely punitive but ‘educative’: embodiment becomes a lived lesson, forcing the soul to experience the consequences of its dominant appetites in a constrained mode of being.