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

Wenn ein Mann im Traum von abscheulichen, ungeheuren schwarzen Männern, die Waffen erhoben halten, mit Steinen getroffen wird, so begegnet er sogleich dem Tod.

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.