Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 13

Mohinī-prashna

The Question about Mohinī

अग्निमन्तो न विप्रा हि मन्यंते समुपोषणम् । वेदबाह्य कथं धर्मं भवांश्चरितुमिच्छति ॥ १३ ॥

agnimanto na viprā hi manyaṃte samupoṣaṇam | vedabāhya kathaṃ dharmaṃ bhavāṃścaritumicchati || 13 ||

En verdad, los brahmanes que mantienen los fuegos sagrados no aprueban el ayuno completo. ¿Cómo, entonces, deseas practicar un dharma que está fuera del Veda?

agnimantaḥ(those) maintaining the sacred fire
agnimantaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
TypeAdjective
Rootagnimant (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormNegation particle (निषेध-निपात)
viprāḥBrahmins
viprāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
TypeNoun
Rootvipra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
hiindeed, for
hi:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
FormEmphatic/causal particle (अव्यय-निपात)
manyantethey consider
manyante:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootman (धातु)
FormPresent tense (लट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)
samupoṣaṇamcomplete fasting
samupoṣaṇam:
Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
TypeNoun
Rootsam-upoṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
vedabāhyaO one outside the Veda (un-Vedic)
vedabāhya:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeAdjective
Rootveda (प्रातिपदिक) + bāhya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'outside of the Veda'); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)
kathamhow
katham:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkatham (अव्यय)
FormInterrogative adverb (प्रश्न-अव्यय)
dharmamdharma, righteousness
dharmam:
Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
TypeNoun
Rootdharma (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
bhavānyou (sir)
bhavān:
Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
TypeNoun
Rootbhavat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormHonorific pronoun; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
caritumto practice, to perform
caritum:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन/infinitive of purpose)
TypeVerb
Rootcar (धातु) → caritum (कृदन्त, तुमुन्-प्रत्यय)
FormInfinitive (तुमुन्); expresses purpose
icchatiwishes
icchati:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootiṣ (धातु)
FormPresent tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Sanatkumara (addressing Narada in an instructive dialogue tone)

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

V
Vipra
V
Veda
A
Agni

FAQs

It stresses that religious austerities (like fasting) must remain consistent with Vedic dharma—especially for those bound to daily fire-ritual obligations—so that practice is disciplined rather than merely extreme.

By implying that devotion should be practiced within dharma: bhakti is strengthened when vows and austerities support (not violate) one’s prescribed duties, avoiding “non-Vedic” displays that disrupt legitimate obligations.

It points to Kalpa (ritual procedure) and Dharma-śāstra application: an āhitāgni’s daily agnihotra and related rites require regulated diet and conduct, so total fasting may be inappropriate unless the Vedic rule-set permits it.