Vamana Purana — Karmic Causes of Narakas, Shloka 17

Karmic Causes of Narakas and the Irremediability of Ingratitude (Kṛtaghna-doṣa)

Devanagari script

सूर्येन्दुतारका दृष्टा यैरुच्छिष्टैश्च कामतः तेषां नेत्रगतो वह्निर्धम्यते यमकिङ्करैः

Transliteration

sūryendutārakā dṛṣṭā yairucchiṣṭaiśca kāmataḥ teṣāṃ netragato vahnirdhamyate yamakiṅkaraiḥ

Translation

ຜູ້ໃດທີ່ຢູ່ໃນພາວະບໍ່ບໍລິສຸດຈາກອາຫານເຫຼືອ (ucchiṣṭa) ແລ້ວຈົ່ງໃຈເບິ່ງດວງອາທິດ, ດວງຈັນ, ແລະດາວ—ໄຟຈະເຂົ້າໄປໃນດວງຕາຂອງເຂົາ ແລະຖືກຜູ້ຮັບໃຊ້ຂອງຍະມະພັດພັດໃຫ້ລຸກໂຊນ.

Word by Word

• sūrya-indu-tārakāḥ: the sun, the moon, and the stars
• sūrya-indu-tārakāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक) + indu (प्रातिपदिक) + tārakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (sun, moon, and stars)

• dṛṣṭāḥ: seen/looked at
• dṛṣṭāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु) → dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; past passive participle (क्त), agreeing in sense with sūrya-indu-tārakāḥ (seen)

• yaiḥ: by whom
• yaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; relative pronoun

• ucchiṣṭaiḥ: with impurity/leftovers
• ucchiṣṭaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ucchiṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चय)

• kāmataḥ: at will/voluntarily
• kāmataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Adverb (अव्यय), ‘according to desire/at will’

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• netra-gataḥ: gone into the eyes
• netra-gataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक) + gata (कृदन्त, √gam + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; समासः—नेत्रं गतः (locative/accusative tatpuruṣa sense ‘gone into the eye’)

• vahniḥ: fire
• vahniḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• dhamyate: is blown (fanned)
• dhamyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dham (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present/लट्), Ātmanepada, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; passive sense ‘is blown’

• yama-kiṅkaraiḥ: by Yama’s servants
• yama-kiṅkaraiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + kiṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; समासः—यमस्य किङ्कराः (genitive tatpuruṣa)

Speakers

• Not specified in the provided excerpt (dialogue layer not directly visible here)

Primary Deities

• Yama (explicit)
• Sūrya (as celestial body)
• Candra (as celestial body)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Śauca (purity rules)
• Intentional transgression (kāmataḥ)
• Karmic retribution
• Yama’s justice

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse distinguishes inadvertent fault from deliberate transgression: intentional disregard of purity norms (kāmataḥ) is ethically weightier and yields sharper consequences, emphasizing inner intention as a driver of karma.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

It functions as dharma-śāstra-like material within a Purāṇa (an instructional interlude), rather than one of the five core lakṣaṇas; it supports the Purāṇic role as a guide to right conduct.

What is the symbolic significance?

Eyes represent cognition and desire-driven perception; ‘fire in the eyes’ dramatizes how impure, lustful intent corrupts perception itself, turning the faculty of seeing into a site of suffering under moral law (Yama).