Shloka 125

Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala

Sanskrit

नानामेदोवसामज्जा लिप्तपाण्यङ्गुलिः श्वसन् ।

नानाशवोदनकृता हारतृप्तिपरायणः ॥

Transliteration

nānā-medo-vasā-majjā-lipta-pāṇy-aṅguliḥ śvasan / nānā-śavodana-kṛtā-hāra-tṛpti-parāyaṇaḥ

Translation

അവൻ കഠിനമായി ശ്വസിച്ചു; കൈവിരലുകൾ വിവിധ കൊഴുപ്പ്, മേദസ്സ്, മജ്ജ എന്നിവയിൽ ലിപ്തമാക്കി, വിശപ്പിന്റെ തൃപ്തിയിലേയ്ക്ക് മാത്രം മനസ്സുറപ്പിച്ച്—പല ശവങ്ങളുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട് തയ്യാറാക്കിയ അരിയന്നം ഭക്ഷിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• नाना: various, many kinds of
• नाना: विशेषणम् (Qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषणार्थे (विविध/बहु) — Indeclinable used adjectivally ‘various’

• मेदस्: fat
• मेदस्: समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (समासाङ्ग) — Neuter, Nom/Acc Singular (compound member)

• वसा: grease
• वसा: समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (समासाङ्ग) — Feminine, Nominative Singular (compound member)

• मज्जा: marrow
• मज्जा: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता) (descriptor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मज्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् — Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• लिप्त: smeared
• लिप्त: समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिप्त (कृदन्त; √लिप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (समासाङ्ग); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — Masculine, Nominative Singular; past participle

• पाणि: hand
• पाणि: अवयव (Body part)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (समासाङ्ग) — Masculine, Nominative Singular (compound member)

• अङ्गुलिः: finger(s)
• अङ्गुलिः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता) (descriptor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् — Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• श्वसन्: breathing
• श्वसन्: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता) (participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्वसन् (कृदन्त; √श्वस्)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् — Present active participle; Masculine, Nominative Singular

• नाना: various
• नाना: विशेषणम् (Qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषणार्थे — Indeclinable ‘various’

• शव: of corpses
• शव: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (समासाङ्ग) — Neuter, Genitive Plural (compound member)

• उदन: water
• उदन: समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (समासाङ्ग) — Neuter, Nom/Acc Singular (compound member)

• कृत: made, prepared
• कृत: समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (समासाङ्ग); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — Feminine, Nominative Singular (agreeing with implied ‘आहार/तृप्ति’ in compound)

• आहार: food, intake
• आहार: समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (समासाङ्ग) — Masculine, Nominative Singular (compound member)

• तृप्ति: satiation
• तृप्ति: समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (समासाङ्ग) — Feminine, Nominative Singular (compound member)

• परायणः: devoted to, intent on
• परायणः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता) (descriptor)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् — Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; विशेषणम्

Speakers

• Narrative voice within Markandeya Purana (frame-speakers not identifiable from excerpt alone)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Karmic retribution
• Śmaśāna/liminal transgression
• Disgust as moral pedagogy

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The Purāṇic style uses revulsion to teach restraint: when one abandons dharma, the mind can normalize what is ordinarily forbidden, even living from death and pollution. Hunger and compulsion become metaphors for uncontrolled desire.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Carita (exemplum) illustrating karmic consequence; ancillary to dharma-teaching rather than cosmological Sarga/Manvantara material.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Food from corpses’ can be read symbolically as consuming the results of dead actions—living on residues of past karma—until insight or expiation breaks the cycle.