Shloka 90

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

Sanskrit

विप्रदेवेन्द्रतां चापि कदाचिदवरोहणीम् ।

एवन्तु पापकर्माणे नरकेषु पतन्त्यधः ॥

Transliteration

vipradevendratāṃ cāpi kadācid avarohiṇīm | evantu pāpakarmāṇe narakeṣu patanty adhaḥ ||

Translation

ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ ಅವನು ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣತ್ವವನ್ನೂ ಅಥವಾ ದೇವರಲ್ಲಿ ಇಂದ್ರಪದವನ್ನೂ ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಾನೆ; ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ ಇಳಿಮುಖ ಜನ್ಮಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಬೀಳುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಹೀಗೆ ಪಾಪಕರ್ಮದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿರತರಾದವರು ನರಕಗಳಿಗೆ ಬೀಳುತ್ತಾರೆ।

Word by Word

• विप्र-देव-इन्द्रताम्: the status of a brāhmaṇa, a god, (even) Indra-hood
• विप्र-देव-इन्द्रताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रता (इन्द्रता-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (vipradevendratā = “state of being a brāhmaṇa/deva/Indra-like lord”), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (and)

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (also/even)

• कदाचित्: sometimes
• कदाचित्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (temporal adverb: “sometimes/at some time”)

• अवरोहणीम्: descending (lower-going)
• अवरोहणीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avarohaṇī (अवरोहणी-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied jātiṃ/avasthām: “descending”)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb: “thus/in this way”)

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Contrast (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (adversative/emphatic: “but/indeed”)

• पापकर्माणः: sinful-doers; those of sinful actions
• पापकर्माणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (कर्मन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (pāpakarmāṇaḥ = “those whose deeds are sinful”), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्ता

• नरकेषु: in hells
• नरकेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (नरक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; अधिकरण

• पतन्ति: fall
• पतन्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; “fall”

• अधः: downwards
• अधः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place: “downwards/below”)

Speakers

• Frame not specified in input

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Indra (as a status/office)

Key Themes

• Karma
• Moral causality
• Saṃsāra
• Naraka
• Heavenly reward and downfall

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

High status—human or divine—is unstable when not grounded in dharma. The verse closes by reasserting that persistent pāpa leads to downfall, regardless of intermittent elevation.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

General dharma/karmaphala summary statement; tangentially connected to manvantara insofar as ‘Indra’ is an office recurring across cosmic ages, but here used mainly as a karmic benchmark.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Indrahood’ symbolizes temporary mastery of the senses (indriyas) and powers; ‘falling to hell’ symbolizes collapse into compulsions when ethical vigilance is lost.