Shloka 42

Adhyaya 18 — Alarka's Story

Sanskrit

त्यक्त्वा देवान् स्त्रियं तां तु हर्तुकामा हतौजसः ।

तेन पापेन मुह्यन्तः संशक्तास्ते ततोऽब्रुवन् ॥

Transliteration

tyaktvā devān striyaṃ tāṃ tu hartukāmā hataujasaḥ | tena pāpena muhyantaḥ saṃśaktās te tato 'bruvan ||

Translation

ദേവന്മാരോടുള്ള യുദ്ധം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച്, വീര്യം ക്ഷീണിച്ച അവർ ആ സ്ത്രീയെ പിടിക്കുവാൻ ആഗ്രഹിച്ചു; അതേ പാപത്തിൽ മോഹിതരായി അവർ ഒന്നിച്ചു കൂടി പിന്നെ സംസാരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

त्यक्त्वाhaving abandoned

देवान्the gods

स्त्रियम्the woman

ताम्her

तुbut/indeed

हर्तुकामाःwishing to abduct

हतौजसःwith their strength diminished

तेनby that

पापेनby sin/evil

मुह्यन्तःbeing deluded

संशक्ताःclinging/intent

तेthey

ततःthen/thereupon

अब्रुवन्said/spoke

Speakers

Garga (narrator) within the Markandeya Purana’s narrative frame

Shakti Aspects

Not applicable (ethical causality emphasized)

Key Themes

Pāpa leads to mohaAbduction as adharmaDecline of ojas/tejasCollective wrongdoing

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The Purāṇic ethic links intention to cognition: sinful intent (pāpa) produces delusion (moha), which in turn normalizes further wrongdoing. ‘Hata-ojas’ signals that adharma depletes inner strength.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Moral-psychological instruction via narrative; ancillary to the Purāṇa’s broader aims rather than a core pancalakṣaṇa enumeration.

What is the esoteric significance?

When ojas declines, the will becomes porous; craving then ‘possesses’ the mind. The verse encodes a subtle law: the very act of intending harm clouds perception.