The Account of Mohinī
Mohinī-upākhyāna
पुत्रघ्नीं धर्महंत्रीं च ब्रह्मदंडहतामपि । निःसारयत मे बापि देहो ज्वलति दर्शंनात् ॥ १७ ॥
putraghnīṃ dharmahaṃtrīṃ ca brahmadaṃḍahatāmapi | niḥsārayata me bāpi deho jvalati darśaṃnāt || 17 ||
“ຈົ່ງໄລ່ນາງອອກ—ນາງຜູ້ຂ້າລູກຂອງຕົນ, ຜູ້ທໍາລາຍທັມມະ, ແລະຜູ້ຖືກລົງໂທດໂດຍພຣະພຣະຫມາ. ໂອ້ພໍ່ເອີຍ! ຮ່າງກາຍຂອງຂ້າເຜົາໄໝ້ແຕ່ເຫັນນາງເທົ່ານັ້ນ.”
A distressed son addressing his father (narrative dialogue within the Tirtha-Mahatmya)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
The verse highlights the immediate inner torment caused by adharma: grave wrongdoing (like harming one’s own child and violating dharma) becomes spiritually unbearable, prompting rejection of sin and the search for purification.
Indirectly, it shows that bhakti and purity require turning away from adharma; disgust for sin and fear of its karmic heat become the emotional ground for seeking refuge in sacred practices and ultimately devotion to the Lord.
The verse draws on dharma-śāstric ethics rather than a Vedanga technique: it reflects the principle of pāpa-phala (the felt consequence of sin) and the need for prāyaścitta (expiation), often prescribed in Purāṇic and Smṛti traditions.