Shloka 66

Adhyaya 14 — The Messenger of Yama Explains Karmic Retribution and the Causes of Naraka Torments

Sanskrit

तेषामेतैः शितैः शस्त्रैर्मुहुर्विलपतां त्वचः ।

पृथक् कुर्वन्ति वै याम्याः शरीरा॒दतिदारुणाः ॥

Transliteration

teṣām etaiḥ śitaiḥ śastrair muhur vilapatāṃ tvacaḥ /

pṛthak kurvanti vai yāmyāḥ śarīrād ati-dāruṇāḥ

Translation

Para ellos, los servidores de Yama, sumamente crueles, con estas armas afiladas separan una y otra vez la piel del cuerpo, mientras ellos gritan.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural)

• एतैः: with these
• एतैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शितैः: sharp
• शितैः: विशेषण (Adjective of शस्त्रैः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शस्त्रैः: with weapons
• शस्त्रैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मुहुः: again and again, repeatedly
• मुहुः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• विलपताम्: of (those) lamenting
• विलपताम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + लप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present participle/शतृ), षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Genitive plural) ‘of those lamenting’

• त्वचः: skins
• त्वचः: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), बहुवचन (Plural) (त्वचस् → त्वचः)

• पृथक्: apart, separately
• पृथक्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कुर्वन्ति: they make/do
• कुर्वन्ति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphatic particle)

• याम्याः: the Yāmyās
• याम्याः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• शरीरात्: from the body
• शरीरात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Ablative source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• अतिदारुणाः: exceedingly cruel
• अतिदारुणाः: विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (used predicatively for याम्याः: ‘very cruel’)

Speakers

• Naraka narration; consequence tied to prior verse’s destruction

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Yama

Key Themes

• Naraka
• Karma-phala
• Violence against dharmic institutions

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The violence inflicted upon society’s supports returns as violence upon one’s own bodily integrity. Purāṇic justice mirrors the nature of harm done.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Dharma-phala (negative exempla) embedded in Purāṇic narrative instruction.

What is the esoteric significance?

Skin represents protective boundary (maryādā). Those who violate communal/sacred boundaries lose their own ‘covering’—a symbolic stripping of false security.