Adhyaya 15 — Karmic Retribution: Rebirths After Naraka and the King’s Compassion in Hell
भ्रातुः पत्न्यवमन्ता च कपोतत्वं प्रपद्यते । तामेव पीडयित्वा तु कच्छपत्वं प्रपद्यते ॥
bhrātuḥ patnyavamantā ca kapotatvaṃ prapadyate / tāmeva pīḍayitvā tu kacchapatvaṃ prapadyate
സഹോദരന്റെ ഭാര്യയെ അപമാനിക്കുന്നവൻ പ്രാവിന്റെ അവസ്ഥ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു; അതേ സ്ത്രീയെ കൂടുതൽ പീഡിപ്പിക്കുകയോ ഹിംസിക്കുകയോ ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ ആമയുടെ അവസ്ഥ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു।
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The verse frames social/sexual transgressions—especially violations involving a brother’s wife—as grave adharma with tangible karmic repercussions. The escalating consequence (pigeon → tortoise) signals increasing moral weight when disrespect becomes direct harm.
Primarily within Dharma/karma-vipāka teaching rather than the five hallmark topics; it most closely aligns with ethical instruction ancillary to Purāṇic narration (not a direct Sarga/Pratisarga/Manvantara/Vaṃśa/Vaṃśānucarita statement in itself).
Animal rebirth functions symbolically: the ‘fall’ into non-human embodiment reflects contraction of discernment (buddhi) and relational dharma. The specific animal images act as mnemonic moral coding for the listener.