Shloka 116

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

Sanskrit

महामहिषकारीषगोशकृद्राशिसङ्कुलम् ।

तदुत्थभस्मकूटैश्च वृतं सास्थिभिरुन्नतैः ॥

Transliteration

mahā-mahiṣa-kārīṣa-gośakṛd-rāśi-saṅkulam /

taduttha-bhasma-kūṭaiś ca vṛtaṃ sāsthibhir unnataiḥ

Translation

وكان المكانُ مكتظًّا بأكوامِ روثِ الجواميسِ العظيمةِ والبقر؛ ويحيطُ به تلالٌ من الرمادِ الناشئِ عن ذلك، مع أكوامٍ مرتفعةٍ من العظام.

Word by Word

• महामहिषकारीषगोशकृद्राशिसङ्कुलम्: filled with heaps of great-buffalo dung and cow-dung
• महामहिषकारीषगोशकृद्राशिसङ्कुलम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महामहिष (प्रातिपदिक) + करीष (प्रातिपदिक) + गोशकृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + राशि (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd); एकवचन — Nom/Acc singular; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (X-राशि-सम्बन्धी सङ्कुलम् = filled with heaps of dung of great buffaloes and cow-dung)

• तदुत्थभस्मकूटैः: with heaps of ash arising from that
• तदुत्थभस्मकूटैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + उत्थ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + कूट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया); बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; तत्पुरुष (तस्मात् उत्थं भस्म, तस्य कूटाः)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वृतम्: covered; surrounded
• वृतम्: क्रिया-विशेषण/विधेय (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle/कृदन्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन — PPP used predicatively (covered/surrounded)

• स: together with
• स: सहकारक (Associative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थे)
• Form: सह-अर्थक अव्यय (with; together) — here joined in sandhi with following noun

• अस्थिभिः: with bones
• अस्थिभिः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया); बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• उन्नतैः: raised; protruding
• उन्नतैः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उन्नत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुं/नपुं; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया); बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; विशेषण of अस्थिभिः

Speakers

• Narratorial description

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Śmaśāna setting
• Impurity motifs
• Graphic realism in Purāṇic narrative

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The scene underscores the body’s fate—ash and bone—countering pride and attachment; it implicitly urges restraint, charity, and dharmic living before inevitable decay.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary narrative detail (ākhyāna) rather than pañcalakṣaṇa doctrine; it serves as a moral and emotional frame.

What is the esoteric significance?

Ash and bones are memento mori symbols; they can also indicate the ‘burnt’ residues of karma when consciousness is not purified—what remains after life’s fire.