Shloka 16
Mohinī-Ākhyāna: Rukmāṅgada’s Refusal to Eat on Harivāsara
Ekādaśī
म्रियते यदि वा गच्छति निपतति नश्येच्च खंडशो वापि । विरमति तदपि न चेतो मामकमिति मोहिनीहेतोः ॥ १६ ॥
mriyate yadi vā gacchati nipatati naśyecca khaṃḍaśo vāpi | viramati tadapi na ceto māmakamiti mohinīhetoḥ || 16 ||
Even if it dies, or departs, or falls, or is destroyed—yes, even if it is shattered into pieces—the mind still does not cease from the notion, “This is mine,” because of the very cause that bewitches through delusion.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It exposes māmakatva (the possessive sense of “mine”) as a deep-rooted form of moha that persists even through loss and destruction, urging the seeker to uproot attachment for moksha.
By diagnosing possessiveness as delusion, it indirectly supports Vishnu-bhakti: offering all ownership-sense to the Lord (īśvara-arpana) purifies the heart, making devotion steady and non-grasping.
No specific Vedanga technique is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is adhyात्मिक discipline—observing the mind’s “mine”-thought and cultivating vairāgya as a daily sādhanā.