Adhyaya 15 — Karmic Retribution: Rebirths After Naraka and the King’s Compassion in Hell
यमपुरुष उवाच पितृदेवातिथिप्रैष्य-शिष्टेनान्नेन ते तनुः ।
पुष्टिमभ्यागता यस्मात्तद्गतं च मनो यतः ॥
yamapuruṣa uvāca pitṛdevātithipraiṣya-śiṣṭenānnena te tanuḥ | puṣṭim abhyāgatā yasmāt tadgataṃ ca mano yataḥ ||
यमपुरुष म्हणाला— ‘पितर, देव, अतिथी, दास-आश्रित व सत्पात्र यांना विधिपूर्वक प्रथम अर्पण केलेल्या अन्नाने तुझा देह पोसला गेला; म्हणून मनही त्या पुण्याकडे प्रवृत्त झाले।’
{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "bhakti", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
The verse elevates the gṛhastha ethic: one should eat only after properly sharing—honoring pitṛs, devas, guests, dependents, and the virtuous. Such regulated generosity becomes a powerful puṇya with protective effects.
This is dharma/ācāra instruction embedded in a narrative frame, not a pañcalakṣaṇa cosmology/genealogy passage.
Food is treated as condensed prāṇa; when sanctified by right distribution (yajña-spirit), it purifies both body and mind, generating a subtle ‘cooling’ influence that can counteract harsh karmic experiences.