Shloka 23

Adhyaya 14 — The Messenger of Yama Explains Karmic Retribution and the Causes of Naraka Torments

Sanskrit

अनेकशतसाहस्र-जनमसंचयसञ्चितम् ।

पुण्यापुण्यं नृणां तद्वत् सुखदुःखाङ्कुरोद्भवम् ॥

Transliteration

anekaśatasāhastra-janmasaṃcayasañcitam / puṇyāpuṇyaṃ nṛṇāṃ tadvat sukhaduḥkhāṅkurodbhavam

Translation

മനുഷ്യരുടെ പുണ്യവും പാപവും ലക്ഷലക്ഷം ജന്മങ്ങളുടെ സഞ്ചിത നിധിയിൽ നിന്ന് സമാഹരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു; അതിൽ നിന്നുതന്നെ സുഖദുഃഖങ്ങളുടെ മുളകൾ ഉദ്ഭവിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• अनेकशतसाहस्रजनमसंचयसञ्चितम्: accumulated through collections of births of many hundreds and thousands
• अनेकशतसाहस्रजनमसंचयसञ्चितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक + शत + साहस्र + जन्म + संचय + सञ्चित (कृदन्त; √चि धातु)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास (determinative chain), अन्ते भूतकृदन्त 'सञ्चित' (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• पुण्यापुण्यम्: merit-and-demerit (the total)
• पुण्यापुण्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + अपुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व (merit and demerit as a pair), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• नृणाम्: of men, of humans
• नृणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive, 6th), बहुवचन (plural)

• तद्वत्: likewise, similarly
• तद्वत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): 'तद्वत्' = 'in that manner/likewise'

• सुखदुःखाङ्कुरोद्भवम्: sprouting forth as pleasure and pain
• सुखदुःखाङ्कुरोद्भवम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख + दुःख + अङ्कुर + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'arising as sprouts of pleasure and pain'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

Speakers

• Dialogue setting (speaker not specified in the provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Saṃsāra
• Karmic accumulation
• Rebirth
• Cause and effect

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Present experience is rooted in a long karmic history; therefore, ethical effort matters even when results are delayed. Suffering and joy are portrayed as ‘sprouts’ from stored causes.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Philosophical-dharmic teaching; while Purāṇas include cosmology and genealogies, this verse is primarily about karma theory, not a direct Pancalakṣaṇa category.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘sprout’ metaphor implies latent potentialities (bīja/saṃskāra) ripening into lived reality; spiritual practice aims to burn or transform these seeds before they germinate.