Shloka 4

Adhyaya 3 — The Dharmapakshis’ Past-Life Curse and Indra’s Test of Truthfulness

Sanskrit

श्रमक्लान्तान्तरात्मानो महात्मानो वियोनिजाः ।

ज्ञानञ्च प्रकटिभूतं तत्र तेषां प्रभावतः ॥

Transliteration

śramaklāntāntarātmāno mahātmāno viyonijāḥ | jñānañ ca prakaṭībhūtaṃ tatra teṣāṃ prabhāvataḥ ||

Translation

অন্তরে পরিশ্রান্ত হলেও সেই মহাত্মারা—যাঁরা কোনো যোনি থেকে জন্মেননি—নিজস্ব আধ্যাত্মিক তেজের বলে সেখানে প্রকাশিত জ্ঞানসম্পন্ন হলেন।

Word by Word

• śrama-klānta-antarātmānaḥ: whose inner selves were wearied by toil
• śrama-klānta-antarātmānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrama + klānta + antarātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); बहुव्रीहि-समासः—‘श्रमक्लान्तः अन्तरात्मा यस्य सः’ (whose inner self is wearied by exertion)

• mahātmānaḥ: great-souled ones
• mahātmānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); कर्मधारय-समासः—‘महान् आत्मा’

• viyonijāḥ: not womb-born
• viyonijāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viyonija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); तत्पुरुष-समासः—‘विना योनिं’ (not born from a womb)

• jñānam: knowledge
• jñānam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• prakaṭī-bhūtam: become manifest
• prakaṭī-bhūtam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prakaṭī-bhū (कृदन्त; भू-धातु)
• Form: Past participle (क्त/कृत्), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); अव्ययीभाव-समासः—‘प्रकटं भूत्वा’ → ‘प्रकटिभूत’ (having become manifest)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb of place (देशवाचक अव्यय)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन); pronoun (सर्वनाम)

• prabhāvataḥ: due to (their) power
• prabhāvataḥ: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative used adverbially (5th/पञ्चमी एकवचन) as हेत्वर्थे—‘प्रभावात्’ (by/owing to power)

Speakers

• Narrative voice within the Jaimini–Mārkaṇḍeya frame (not Devi Māhātmya)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Tapas
• Jñāna (manifest knowledge)
• Siddhi / spiritual potency
• Sagehood and extraordinary birth

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

True knowledge is not merely acquired externally; in perfected beings it becomes self-revealing (prakaṭa) through tapas and inner refinement. Even when the body-mind is strained by effort, the realized person’s prabhāva (spiritual efficacy) allows insight to arise and guide action.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse is not directly sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita content; it functions as frame-narrative characterization and philosophical setup (supporting discourse rather than a pancalakṣaṇa category). Indirectly, it supports dharma/jñāna themes that accompany genealogical and manvantara narratives elsewhere.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Viyonija’ hints at consciousness not confined to ordinary causality (yoni = womb/conditioned origin). ‘Jñāna becoming manifest’ suggests the unveiling of innate wisdom when obscurations thin—an inward ‘revelation’ catalyzed by prabhāva, i.e., accumulated tapas and purity that make truth spontaneously present.