Shloka 15

Adhyaya 14 — The Messenger of Yama Explains Karmic Retribution and the Causes of Naraka Torments

Sanskrit

यमकिङ्कर उवाच यन्मां पृच्छसि भूपाल ! पापकर्मफलोदयम् ।

तत्तेऽहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि संक्षेपेण यथातथम् ॥

Transliteration

yamakiṅkara uvāca yan māṃ pṛcchasi bhūpāla pāpa-karma-phala-udayam / tat te ’haṃ sampravakṣyāmi saṃkṣepeṇa yathā-tatham //

Translation

Der Diener Yamas sprach: „O König, was du mich fragst—das Entstehen der Früchte sündhafter Taten—werde ich dir kurz darlegen, so wie es ist.“

Word by Word

• यम-किङ्करः: Yama’s attendant
• यम-किङ्करः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + kiṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यमस्य किङ्करः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्ष/परिपूर्णभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect, 3rd person singular; परस्मैपद

• यत्: that/since
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्धबोधक), यत्-शब्दः here as conjunction ‘since/that’ introducing clause

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular (pronoun)

• पृच्छसि: you ask
• पृच्छसि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present indicative, 2nd person singular; परस्मैपद

• भूपाल: O king
• भूपाल: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• पाप-कर्म-फल-उदयम्: the arising of the fruit of sinful deeds
• पाप-कर्म-फल-उदयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + udaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (पापकर्मणः फलस्य उदयः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी, एकवचन; Dative singular (pronoun)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (pronoun)

• सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि: I will explain/tell
• सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; Simple future, 1st person singular; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: सम्+प्र

• संक्षेपेण: briefly
• संक्षेपेण: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saṃkṣepa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण; तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययप्रयोगः = ‘briefly’

• यथा-तथम्: as it is, in due manner
• यथा-तथम्: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-द्वन्द्व (pair of indeclinables) used adverbially

Speakers

• Yama-kiṅkara to the King

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Yama

Key Themes

• Karma-vipāka
• Moral instruction
• Afterlife jurisprudence

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Authority is grounded in truthfulness: the messenger promises ‘yathātatham’—a key Purāṇic virtue—linking cosmic justice with accurate teaching.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

A dharma-upadeśa segment within narrative; not directly sarga/pratisarga etc., but part of the Purāṇa’s ethical instruction function.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘messenger’ symbolizes the operation of ṛta/dharma as an impersonal law: consequences are delivered not by caprice but by a structured order.