Shloka 16
Devanagari script
यस्त्विह वै राजा राजपुरुषो वा अदण्ड्ये दण्डं प्रणयति ब्राह्मणे वा शरीरदण्डं स पापीयान्नरकेऽमुत्र सूकरमुखे निपतति तत्रातिबलैर्विनिष्पिष्यमाणावयवो यथैवेहेक्षुखण्ड आर्तस्वरेण स्वनयन् क्वचिन्मूर्च्छित: कश्मलमुपगतो यथैवेहादृष्टदोषा उपरुद्धा: ॥ १६ ॥
Transliteration
yas tv iha vai rājā rāja-puruṣo vā adaṇḍye daṇḍaṁ praṇayati brāhmaṇe vā śarīra-daṇḍaṁ sa pāpīyān narake ’mutra sūkaramukhe nipatati tatrātibalair viniṣpiṣyamāṇāvayavo yathaivehekṣukhaṇḍa ārta-svareṇa svanayan kvacin mūrcchitaḥ kaśmalam upagato yathaivehā-dṛṣṭa-doṣā uparuddhāḥ.
Translation
In his next life, a sinful king who punishes an innocent person is taken to the hell named Sūkaramukha, where he is crushed exactly as one crushes sugarcane.
Synonyms
yaḥwho
yaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormSarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
tubut/indeed
tu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
FormParticle/conjunction (निपात)
ihahere (in this world)
iha:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiha (अव्यय)
FormAdverb (देशवाचक अव्यय)
vaiindeed
vai:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvai (अव्यय)
FormEmphatic particle (निपात)
rājāking
rājā:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootrājan (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular; stem rājan (राजन्)
rāja-puruṣaḥroyal officer/king’s man
rāja-puruṣaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootrājan + puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular; ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (राज्ञः पुरुषः)
vāor
vā:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
FormDisjunctive particle (विकल्पार्थक निपात)
adaṇḍyein/with regard to one not punishable
adaṇḍye:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Roota-daṇḍya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular; ‘not to be punished’
daṇḍampunishment
daṇḍam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootdaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular
praṇayatiimposes
praṇayati:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpra-ṇī (धातु)
FormLaṭ (लट्/Present), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; causative sense ‘imposes/ordains’ in context
brāhmaṇeupon a brāhmaṇa
brāhmaṇe:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootbrāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular
vāor
vā:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
FormDisjunctive particle (विकल्पार्थक निपात)
śarīra-daṇḍambodily punishment
śarīra-daṇḍam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootśarīra + daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; tatpuruṣa (शरीरस्य दण्डः)
saḥhe
saḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular
pāpīyānmore sinful
pāpīyān:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootpāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular; comparative degree (तर/ईयसुन्)
narakein hell
narake:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootnaraka (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular
amutrathere (in the next world)
amutra:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootamutra (अव्यय)
FormAdverb (देशवाचक अव्यय)
sūkara-mukhein (the hell called) Sūkaramukha
sūkara-mukhe:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootsūkara + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular; karmadhāraya ‘boar-faced (hell)’ as a name
nipatatifalls
nipatati:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootni-pat (धातु)
FormLaṭ (Present), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular
tatrathere
tatra:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottatra (अव्यय)
FormAdverb (स्थानवाचक अव्यय)
ati-balaiḥby very strong (agents)
ati-balaiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeAdjective
Rootati + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural; karmadhāraya ‘very-strong’
viniṣpiṣyamāṇa-avayavaḥhaving limbs being crushed
viniṣpiṣyamāṇa-avayavaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootvi-ni-ṣpiṣ (धातु) + avayava (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; Present passive participle (शानच्) ‘being crushed’; tatpuruṣa ‘whose limbs are being crushed’
yathājust as
yathā:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय)
FormComparative particle (उपमानवाचक अव्यय)
evaindeed/just
eva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
FormEmphatic particle (निपात)
ihahere
iha:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiha (अव्यय)
FormAdverb (देशवाचक अव्यय)
ikṣu-khaṇḍaḥa piece of sugarcane
ikṣu-khaṇḍaḥ:
Upamāna (उपमान)
TypeNoun
Rootikṣu + khaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; tatpuruṣa ‘piece of sugarcane’
ārta-svareṇawith a pained cry
ārta-svareṇa:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootārta + svara (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular; tatpuruṣa ‘with a distressed voice’
svanayancrying out
svanayan:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootsva-nī (धातु)
FormPresent active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘making sound/crying’
kvacitsometimes
kvacit:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkvacit (अव्यय)
FormAdverb (काल/देशवाचक अव्यय)
mūrcchitaḥfainted
mūrcchitaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootmūrch (धातु)
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
kaśmalamdistress/delusion
kaśmalam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkaśmala (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular
upagataḥhaving entered (into)
upagataḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootupa-gam (धातु)
FormPast active participle (क्तवत्), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘having reached/entered’
yathājust as
yathā:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय)
FormComparative particle
evaindeed
eva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
FormEmphatic particle
ihahere
iha:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiha (अव्यय)
FormAdverb
adṛṣṭa-doṣāḥ(criminals) whose fault is not detected
adṛṣṭa-doṣāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Roota-dṛṣṭa + doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural; bahuvrīhi ‘those whose faults are unseen/undetected’
uparuddhāḥconfined
uparuddhāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootupa-rudh (धातu)
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Plural; ‘restrained/confined’
FAQs
This verse says that a king or official who punishes one who is not deserving of punishment commits a grave sin and is sent to the hell called Sūkaramukha, where he is crushed like sugarcane.
The verse highlights that inflicting bodily punishment on a brāhmaṇa is a severe violation of dharma; such abuse of sacred social order and spiritual protection brings heavy karmic reaction.
Leaders, judges, and administrators must avoid misuse of authority, ensure due process, and protect the innocent—because injustice and abuse of power create serious moral and karmic consequences.