Shloka 9

The Marks of Merit and the Destinies of Beings

Divine vs Demonic Traits

Devanagari script

पतितं मूर्च्छितं भग्नमन्ययोद्धारमाहवे । हंतारो निरयं यांति ते च म्लेच्छाः कुवाचकाः

Transliteration

patitaṃ mūrcchitaṃ bhagnamanyayoddhāramāhave | haṃtāro nirayaṃ yāṃti te ca mlecchāḥ kuvācakāḥ

Translation

Those who, in battle, strike down a fallen man, one who has fainted, one who is crippled, or another warrior who has turned away—such killers go to hell; they are also deemed mlecchas and foul-speakers.

Word by Word

• पतितम्: fallen
• पतितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतित (कृदन्त; √पत् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृत् (क्त) participle; adjectival use

• मूर्च्छितम्: unconscious
• मूर्च्छितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्च्छित (कृदन्त; √मूर्छ् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय; adjectival use

• भग्नम्: broken
• भग्नम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भग्न (कृदन्त; √भञ्ज् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय; adjectival use

• अन्य-योद्धारम्: another’s fighter/warrior
• अन्य-योद्धारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + योद्धृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अन्यस्य योद्धा)

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हंतारः: killers
• हंतारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हन्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• निरयम्: hell
• निरयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• म्लेच्छाः: barbarians/foreigners
• म्लेच्छाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: म्लेच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कुवाचकाः: evil-speakers/abusive talkers
• कुवाचकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कु (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + वाचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (कु-वाचक = दुष्टवाचक)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice in context not provided in the input)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: भग्नमन्ययोद्धारमाहवे = भग्नम् + अन्ययोद्धारम् + आहवे; हंतारो = हंतारः; यांति = यान्ति; म्लेच्छाः कुवाचकाः are coordinated nominatives.

FAQs

What ethical rule of warfare is taught in this verse?

It condemns killing a combatant who is already incapacitated (fallen, unconscious, crippled) or who has turned away, treating such an act as adharma.

Why are such killers called 'mlecchas' and 'kuvācakāḥ'?

The verse uses these labels to mark them as outside civilized dharmic conduct (mleccha) and as morally degraded in speech/character (kuvācaka), emphasizing social and spiritual censure.

What is the karmic consequence stated here?

The verse explicitly states that those who commit such killings in battle 'go to hell' (nirayaṃ yānti), indicating severe karmic retribution.