Shloka 20

Adhyaya 43 — Portents of Death (Ariṣṭa-lakṣaṇas) and the Yogin’s Response; Alarka Renounces Kingship

Sanskrit

करालैर्विकटैः कृष्णैः पुरुषैरुद्यतायुधैः ।

पाषाणैस्ताडितः स्वप्ने सद्यो मृत्युं लभेन्नरः ॥

Transliteration

karālairvikaṭaiḥ kṛṣṇaiḥ puruṣairudyatāyudhaiḥ / pāṣāṇaistāḍitaḥ svapne sadyo mṛtyuṃ labhennaraḥ

Translation

إذا رأى الرجلُ في المنام أنه يُضرَب بالحجارة على يد رجالٍ سودٍ قُبْحٍ مُشوَّهين يرفعون السلاح، فإنه يلقى الموت في الحال.

Word by Word

• karālaiḥ: terrifying
• karālaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa of ‘puruṣaiḥ’ (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural; qualifies ‘puruṣaiḥ’

• vikaṭaiḥ: hideous/monstrous
• vikaṭaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vikaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural; qualifies ‘puruṣaiḥ’

• kṛṣṇaiḥ: black/dark
• kṛṣṇaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural; qualifies ‘puruṣaiḥ’

• puruṣaiḥ: by men/persons
• puruṣaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण) / agent-instrument in passive
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural

• udyata-āyudhaiḥ: with weapons raised
• udyata-āyudhaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: udyata + āyudha (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural; कर्मधारयः (‘raised’ + ‘weapons’), qualifies ‘puruṣaiḥ’

• pāṣāṇaiḥ: with stones
• pāṣāṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṣāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural

• tāḍitaḥ: struck/beaten
• tāḍitaḥ: Karta-predicative (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √tāḍ (ताड्) (कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/PPP), Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular; agrees with ‘naraḥ’

• svapne: in a dream
• svapne: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svapna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular

• sadyaḥ: immediately
• sadyaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)

• mṛtyum: death
• mṛtyum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular

• labhet: would obtain/meet
• labhet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (लभ्)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular

Speakers

• Not explicit in excerpt; generalized omen-catalogue style

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Omens
• Dream interpretation
• Mortality
• Fearful visions

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Fearsome dream-aggression is treated as a karmic warning; the implied counsel is to turn to dharma—confession of wrongs, gifts, and spiritual focus—rather than denial.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Supplementary dharma/ariṣṭa teaching, not a core pancalakṣaṇa narrative element.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘armed dark figures’ can symbolize inner forces (vāsanās) turning hostile; stoning evokes the crushing weight of accumulated karma ripening.