Shloka 67

Adhyaya 10 — Jaimini’s Questions on Birth, Death, Karma, and the Embodied Journey

Sanskrit

विकृष्यमाणस्तैर्घोरैर्भक्ष्यमाणः शिवाशतैः ।

प्रयाति दारुणे मार्गे पापकर्मा यमक्षयम् ॥

Transliteration

vikṛṣyamāṇas tair ghorair bhakṣyamāṇaḥ śivāśataiḥ /

prayāti dāruṇe mārge pāpakarmā yamakṣayam

Translation

Dragged by those dreadful (messengers), and being eaten by hundreds of jackals, the doer of sinful deeds proceeds along the terrible road to Yama’s abode.

Word by Word

• vikṛṣyamāṇaḥ: being dragged away
• vikṛṣyamāṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + kṛṣ (कृष् धातु) + śānac (शानच्)
• Form: Present passive participle (वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि शानच्), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग)

• taiḥ: by them
• taiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम)

• ghoraiḥ: terrible
• ghoraiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग); qualifying 'them'

• bhakṣyamāṇaḥ: being devoured
• bhakṣyamāṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakṣ (भक्ष् धातु) + śānac (शानच्)
• Form: Present passive participle (वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि शानच्), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग)

• śivāśataiḥ: by hundreds of jackals
• śivāśataiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śivā-śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग); tatpuruṣa: 'hundreds of śivā (jackals)'

• prayāti: goes forth / proceeds
• prayāti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + yā (या धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• dāruṇe: on a dreadful
• dāruṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग); qualifying 'mārge'

• mārge: path
• mārge: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग)

• pāpa-karmā: the sinful-doer
• pāpa-karmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग); bahuvrīhi: 'one whose deeds are sinful'

• yama-kṣayam: to Yama's abode
• yama-kṣayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग); tatpuruṣa: 'abode/realm of Yama'

Speakers

• Frame-dialogue context not explicit in the provided excerpt (likely an instructive narration within Adhyaya 10)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Yama (Dharmarāja)

Key Themes

• Sin and consequence
• Yama’s realm
• Fearful afterlife imagery

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Adharma is not merely ‘punished’ externally; it leads the agent into states of terror and vulnerability. The verse functions as a deterrent and as reinforcement of moral causality.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Karmaphala-centered didactic narrative; not within the pancalakṣaṇa fivefold taxonomy.

What is the esoteric significance?

Jackals and dragging can symbolize the devouring of the self by its own lower impulses and unresolved tendencies once the protections of social identity and bodily power are stripped away.