Vamana Purana — Karmic Causes of Narakas, Shloka 17

Karmic Causes of Narakas and the Irremediability of Ingratitude (Kṛtaghna-doṣa)

Devanagari script

सूर्येन्दुतारका दृष्टा यैरुच्छिष्टैश्च कामतः तेषां नेत्रगतो वह्निर्धम्यते यमकिङ्करैः

Transliteration

sūryendutārakā dṛṣṭā yairucchiṣṭaiśca kāmataḥ teṣāṃ netragato vahnirdhamyate yamakiṅkaraiḥ

Translation

ઉચ્છિષ્ટ અવસ્થામાં કામવશ સૂર્ય, ચંદ્ર અને તારાઓને જોનારાના નેત્રોમાં અગ્નિ પ્રવેશે છે અને યમના કિંકરો તેને ફૂંકીને પ્રજ્વલિત કરે છે.

Word by Word

• sūrya-indu-tārakāḥ: the sun, the moon, and the stars
• sūrya-indu-tārakāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक) + indu (प्रातिपदिक) + tārakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (sun, moon, and stars)

• dṛṣṭāḥ: seen/looked at
• dṛṣṭāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु) → dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; past passive participle (क्त), agreeing in sense with sūrya-indu-tārakāḥ (seen)

• yaiḥ: by whom
• yaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; relative pronoun

• ucchiṣṭaiḥ: with impurity/leftovers
• ucchiṣṭaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ucchiṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चय)

• kāmataḥ: at will/voluntarily
• kāmataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Adverb (अव्यय), ‘according to desire/at will’

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• netra-gataḥ: gone into the eyes
• netra-gataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक) + gata (कृदन्त, √gam + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; समासः—नेत्रं गतः (locative/accusative tatpuruṣa sense ‘gone into the eye’)

• vahniḥ: fire
• vahniḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• dhamyate: is blown (fanned)
• dhamyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dham (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present/लट्), Ātmanepada, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; passive sense ‘is blown’

• yama-kiṅkaraiḥ: by Yama’s servants
• yama-kiṅkaraiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + kiṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; समासः—यमस्य किङ्कराः (genitive tatpuruṣa)

Speakers

• Not specified in the provided excerpt (dialogue layer not directly visible here)

Primary Deities

• Yama (explicit)
• Sūrya (as celestial body)
• Candra (as celestial body)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Śauca (purity rules)
• Intentional transgression (kāmataḥ)
• Karmic retribution
• Yama’s justice

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse distinguishes inadvertent fault from deliberate transgression: intentional disregard of purity norms (kāmataḥ) is ethically weightier and yields sharper consequences, emphasizing inner intention as a driver of karma.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

It functions as dharma-śāstra-like material within a Purāṇa (an instructional interlude), rather than one of the five core lakṣaṇas; it supports the Purāṇic role as a guide to right conduct.

What is the symbolic significance?

Eyes represent cognition and desire-driven perception; ‘fire in the eyes’ dramatizes how impure, lustful intent corrupts perception itself, turning the faculty of seeing into a site of suffering under moral law (Yama).