Shloka 3
The Description of the Glory of Dvādaśī
मांधातोवाच । पापेंधनस्य घोरस्य शुष्कार्द्रस्य द्विजोत्तम । को वह्निर्दहते तस्य तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति ॥ ३ ॥
māṃdhātovāca | pāpeṃdhanasya ghorasya śuṣkārdrasya dvijottama | ko vahnirdahate tasya tadbhavānvaktumarhati || 3 ||
ಮಾಂಧಾತನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಹೇ ದ್ವಿಜೋತ್ತಮ! ಪಾಪರೂಪವಾದ ಭಯಂಕರ ಇಂಧನವು, ಅದು ಶುಷ್ಕವಾಗಿರಲಿ ಆರ್ಧ್ರವಾಗಿರಲಿ, ಅದನ್ನು ದಹಿಸುವ ಅಗ್ನಿ ಯಾವುದು? ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ತಿಳಿಸಿ।
Māndhātā (the king)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: jijñāsā (inquisitive/śānta-leaning)
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
The verse frames sin as “fuel” and asks for the one purifying principle (“fire”) that can consume both visible (dry) and hidden/latent (moist) wrongdoing—pointing toward a teaching on true inner purification beyond mere external acts.
By seeking the single power that can burn sin at its root, the verse prepares for the Narada Purana’s emphasis that wholehearted surrender and devotion to the Supreme (often expressed through nāma-smaraṇa, worship, and steadfast faith) is a direct purifier of the heart.
The verse uses a precise metaphor common in dharma discourse—sin as fuel and purification as fire—supporting prāyaścitta reasoning found in Dharmaśāstra; it is more ethical-philosophical than a technical Vedāṅga instruction, though it aligns with correct interpretive method (nirukta-style semantic clarity) in explaining terms like “dry/wet” as manifest/latent.