Shloka 34

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

Sanskrit

कृमिः कीटः पतङ्गोऽथ पक्षी तोयचरो मृगः । गोत्वं प्राप्य च चण्डालपुक्कसादि जुगुप्सितम् ॥

Transliteration

kṛmiḥ kīṭaḥ pataṅgo 'tha pakṣī toya-caro mṛgaḥ / gotvaṃ prāpya ca caṇḍāla-pukkasādi jugupsitam

Translation

Er wird zum Wurm, zum Insekt und dann zur Motte; danach zum Vogel, zum Wasserwesen und zum Tier. Nachdem er als Kuh geboren wurde, wird er unter verachteten Gruppen wie den Caṇḍālas und Pukkasas wiedergeboren.

Word by Word

• कृमिः: a worm
• कृमिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कीटः: an insect
• कीटः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पतङ्गः: a moth/locust (flying insect)
• पतङ्गः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अथ: then/and then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चयार्थक (sequence/then)

• पक्षी: a bird
• पक्षी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; इन्-प्रत्ययान्त

• तोयचरः: an aquatic creature (water-goer)
• तोयचरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय + चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (toya-car(a) = 'water-goer')

• मृगः: a beast/deer
• मृगः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• गोत्वम्: cow-hood; the state of being a cow
• गोत्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप्य: having attained/obtained
• प्राप्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); 'having obtained'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• चण्डालपुक्कसादि: (the condition of) caṇḍālas, pukkasas, etc.
• चण्डालपुक्कसादि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डाल + पुक्कस + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective copulative): 'caṇḍālas, pukkasas, etc.'

• जुगुप्सितम्: despised/abhorred
• जुगुप्सितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जुगुप्सित (प्रातिपदिक; √गुप्स्/गुप् से)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त-आधारित विशेषण (descriptive: 'despised')

Speakers

• Not specified in input (likely within a dharma-exposition dialogue/narration)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Karma and rebirth
• Ethics (theft and its consequences)
• Social consequences in dharma literature

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The passage presents a deterrent ethic: stealing highly protected goods (especially cow and gold) is portrayed as producing severe karmic repercussion—progressive degradation into lower births and socially stigmatized conditions.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily Dharma/Ācāra instruction (not one of the five in a strict sense). Indirectly it relates to Manvantara-style moral governance (how beings should act within cosmic order), but it is not a sarga/pratisarga genealogy unit here.

What is the esoteric significance?

The sequence of births can be read as a symbolic ‘descent of consciousness’ through increasingly constrained embodiments, illustrating how adharmic appropriation (taking what is not given) contracts one’s freedom and dignity across lifetimes.