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Shloka 23

कुमाराभिषेकप्रश्नः — Inquiry into Kumāra (Skanda) Investiture at Sarasvatī

यत्‌ पापं वर्धते5स्माकं ततः स्मो ब्रद्म॒राक्षसा: | “हमलोग जो पापाचार करते हैं, यह हमारा स्वेच्छाचार नहीं है। आप-जैसे महात्माओंकी हमलोगोंपर कभी कृपा नहीं हुई और हम सदा दुष्कर्म ही करते चले आये। इससे हमारे पापकी निरन्तर वृद्धि होती रहती है और हम ब्रह्माराक्षस हो गये हैं || २० ई ।। योषितां चैव पापेन योनिदोषकृतेन च,आचार्यमृत्विजं चैव गुरुं वृद्धजनं तथा । प्राणिनो ये5वमन्यन्ते ते भवन्तीह राक्षसा:

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: yat pāpaṁ vardhate ’smākaṁ tataḥ smo brahmarākṣasāḥ | yoṣitāṁ caiva pāpena yonidoṣakṛtena ca, ācāryam ṛtvijaṁ caiva guruṁ vṛddhajanaṁ tathā | prāṇino ye ’vamanyante te bhavantīha rākṣasāḥ ||

Vaiśampāyana said: “Because sin keeps increasing in us, we have become brahmarākṣasas. Those living beings who, through sins connected with women and through faults of the womb, and who also show contempt for the teacher, the officiating priest, the spiritual preceptor, and the elders—such people become rākṣasas here.”

यत्which/that (sin)
यत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
पापम्sin
पापम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपाप
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
वर्धतेincreases/grows
वर्धते:
TypeVerb
Rootवृध्
FormPresent, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada
अस्माकम्of us/our
अस्माकम्:
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormGenitive, Plural
ततःtherefore/from that
ततः:
Apadana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः
स्मःwe are
स्मः:
TypeVerb
Rootअस्
FormPresent, 1st, Plural, Parasmaipada
ब्रह्मराक्षसाःbrahma-rakshasas (a class of demons/ghosts)
ब्रह्मराक्षसाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootब्रह्मराक्षस
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
योषिताम्of women
योषिताम्:
TypeNoun
Rootयोषित्
FormFeminine, Genitive, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एवindeed/just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
पापेनby/through sin
पापेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootपाप
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
योनिदोषकृतेनby that which causes the fault of the womb/lineage (sexual/uterine transgression)
योनिदोषकृतेन:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootयोनिदोषकृत
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
आचार्यम्teacher
आचार्यम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootआचार्य
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
ऋत्विजम्officiating priest
ऋत्विजम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootऋत्विज्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एवalso/indeed
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
गुरुम्spiritual preceptor
गुरुम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootगुरु
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
वृद्धजनम्elderly person(s)
वृद्धजनम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवृद्धजन
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
तथाlikewise/and also
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
प्राणिनःliving beings/creatures
प्राणिनः:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootप्राणिन्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
येthose who
ये:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
एवम्thus/in this way
एवम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम्
मन्यन्तेthink/consider
मन्यन्ते:
TypeVerb
Rootमन्
FormPresent, 3rd, Plural, Atmanepada
तेthey
ते:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
भवन्तिbecome
भवन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootभू
FormPresent, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada
इहhere/in this world
इह:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइह
राक्षसाःrakshasas/demons
राक्षसाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootराक्षस
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural

वैशम्पायन उवाच

V
Vaiśampāyana
B
brahmarākṣasa
R
rākṣasa
Ā
ācārya
ṛtvij
G
guru
V
vṛddhajana

Educational Q&A

The verse frames moral causality: persistent wrongdoing—especially contempt toward sacred and social authorities (teacher, priest, guru, elders) and sexual/reproductive transgressions—leads to a degraded, ‘rākṣasa-like’ state. It emphasizes that violating dharma is not merely a private act but corrodes one’s very condition and identity.

Vaiśampāyana narrates a statement explaining why certain beings have become brahmarākṣasas/rākṣasas: their accumulated sins keep increasing, and specific anti-dharmic acts—disrespecting revered figures and committing grave sexual/reproductive faults—are cited as causes for such a fallen state.