Shloka 73

Adhyaya 15 — Karmic Retribution: Rebirths After Naraka and the King’s Compassion in Hell

Sanskrit

अनुकम्पामिमामद्य नारकेष्विह कुर्वतः ।

तदेव शतसाहस्रं संख्यामुपगतं तव ॥

Transliteration

anukampām imām adya nārakeṣv iha kurvataḥ |

tad eva śatasāhasraṃ saṃkhyām upagataṃ tava ||

Translation

Pour avoir accompli aujourd’hui, ici même, un acte de compassion au milieu de ceux qui sont en enfer, ce mérite qui est le tien a atteint le nombre de cent mille (c’est-à-dire qu’il s’est accru au cent-milleuple).

Word by Word

• अनुकम्पाम्: compassion
• अनुकम्पाम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुकम्पा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying anukampām)

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• नारकेषु: in hells
• नारकेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: here)

• कुर्वतः: of (you) doing
• कुर्वतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive; agent in participial construction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; 'of (you) doing'

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying śata-sāhasram)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Avyaya (अव्यय/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (just/only)

• शत-साहस्रम्: one hundred thousand
• शत-साहस्रम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; predicative count)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + साहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (शतानां साहस्रम् = one hundred thousand)

• संख्याम्: (as) a number/count
• संख्याम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; reached as a number)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उपगतम्: has reached/attained
• उपगतम्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप√गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'having reached/attained' (agreeing with śata-sāhasram)

• तव: of you / your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speakers

• Dharma to the king

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Dharma

Key Themes

• Compassion (anukampā)
• Merit multiplication
• Naraka narrative
• Ethics of rescue

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Compassion shown where suffering is most intense is portrayed as extraordinarily potent dharma. The text teaches that intention and context (relieving desperate pain) can magnify the fruit of merit far beyond routine virtue.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ethical doctrine within narrative: it illustrates how dharma operates (phala-vāda) rather than presenting creation or dynastic lists; thus it is best cataloged as dharma-upadeśa in story form.

What is the esoteric significance?

Naraka symbolizes the lowest vibrational states; compassion extended there indicates fearlessness and non-aversion. Esoterically, when compassion penetrates the darkest zones of experience, spiritual power (tejas/puṇya) expands dramatically.