Shloka 30

Kārttika-vrata Discipline: Purity Rules, Morning Bath Saṅkalpa, Tilaka Injunctions, and Food Prohibitions

Devanagari script

यमदूताः पलायंते सिंहं दृष्ट्वा यथा गजाः । श्रेष्ठं विष्णुव्रतं विप्र तत्तुल्या न शतं मखाः

Transliteration

yamadūtāḥ palāyaṃte siṃhaṃ dṛṣṭvā yathā gajāḥ | śreṣṭhaṃ viṣṇuvrataṃ vipra tattulyā na śataṃ makhāḥ

Translation

Sebagaimana gajah lari ketika melihat singa, demikian pula para utusan Yama pun melarikan diri. Wahai vipra, Viṣṇu-vrata adalah yang paling utama; seratus yajña pun tidak sebanding dengannya.

Word by Word

• यमदूताः: Yama's messengers
• यमदूताः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम + दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'यमस्य दूताः' (messengers of Yama)

• पलायन्ते: flee/run away
• पलायन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पलाय् (धातु) (to flee)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सिंहम्: a lion
• सिंहम्: Karma (कर्म/Object of दृष्ट्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund): 'having seen'

• यथा: as/just as
• यथा: Upamana-dyotaka (उपमान-द्योतक/Marker of simile)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (Comparative particle)

• गजाः: elephants
• गजाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; of implied verb 'flee')
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• श्रेष्ठम्: excellent/supreme
• श्रेष्ठम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as predicate adjective to 'विष्णुव्रतम्'

• विष्णुव्रतम्: the vow of Viṣṇu
• विष्णुव्रतम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; understood 'is supreme')
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'विष्णोः व्रतम्' (vow of Viṣṇu)

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Anaphoric reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; refers to 'विष्णुव्रतम्'

• तुल्याः: equal (to it)
• तुल्याः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; predicate adjective with 'मखाः'

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (Negation particle)

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Quantifier of मखाः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (numeral used substantively)

• मखाः: sacrifices (yajñas)
• मखाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; of implied 'are')
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative speaker within Brahma-khaṇḍa context; exact dialogue pair not provided in input)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्तुल्याः = तत् + तुल्याः.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamadūtas
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the central teaching of this verse?

It teaches the supremacy of a Viṣṇu-centered vow (viṣṇu-vrata): sincere devotional observance is presented as more spiritually potent than even numerous ritual sacrifices.

Why are the Yamadūtas said to flee in this verse?

The imagery suggests that devotion to Viṣṇu (expressed through viṣṇu-vrata) places a person beyond the fearful reach of Yama’s punitive agents—like elephants retreating from a lion.

What ethical lesson does this verse emphasize?

It emphasizes prioritizing inner devotion and disciplined religious practice over mere ritual quantity—valuing transformative commitment (vrata) above external ceremonial accumulation (many yajñas).