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Shloka 16

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

पुण्यापुण्ये हि पुरुषः पर्यायेण समश्नते ।

भुञ्जतश्च क्षयं याति पापं पुण्यमथापि वा ॥

puṇyāpuṇye hi puruṣaḥ paryāyeṇa samaśnate / bhuñjataś ca kṣayaṃ yāti pāpaṃ puṇyam athāpi vā //

“Seseorang menikmati pahala dan dosa secara bergilir. Dan ketika ia mengalami (hasilnya), dosa—atau pahala—itu pun menjadi habis.”

पुण्य-अपुण्येmerit and demerit
पुण्य-अपुण्ये:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootpuṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + apuṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन; Accusative dual; द्वन्द्व (पुण्यं च अपुण्यं च)
हिindeed
हि:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle), emphasis/causal nuance
पुरुषःa person
पुरुषः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootpuruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular
पर्यायेणin alternation
पर्यायेण:
Prakāra (प्रकार)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootparyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formक्रियाविशेषणार्थे तृतीया-एकवचन (instrumental used adverbially) = ‘in turn/alternately’
समश्नतेexperiences/enjoys
समश्नते:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootsam+aś (धातु)
Formलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present indicative, 3rd person singular; आत्मनेपद; उपसर्ग: सम्
भुञ्जतःof/while enjoying
भुञ्जतः:
Kāla/Avadhāraṇa (काल/अवधारण)
TypeVerb
Rootbhuj (धातु)
Formशतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त), षष्ठी, एकवचन; Present active participle used as genitive absolute-like ‘while (he) is enjoying’
and
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)
क्षयम्diminution/exhaustion
क्षयम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular
यातिgoes to/undergoes
याति:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootyā (धातु)
Formलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present indicative, 3rd person singular; परस्मैपद
पापम्sin (demerit)
पापम्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootpāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here subject-like with ellipsis: ‘pāpaṃ (kṣayaṃ yāti)’
पुण्यम्merit
पुण्यम्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootpuṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; coordinated with pāpam
अथthen/and
अथ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootatha (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle), sequence ‘then/and’
अपिalso
अपि:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle), ‘also/even’
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)
Yama-kiṅkara instructing the King

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

Yama
KarmaBhoga (experience)Merit and sinMoral causality

FAQs

Karma is not eternal punishment or reward: it is consumable. Hence ethical effort matters—one can stop generating new harm while old results are being exhausted.

A doctrinal teaching on karmaphala; it supports dharma and the Purāṇa’s instructive purpose rather than the five historical-cosmic headings.

‘By turns’ indicates saṃsāric oscillation (sukha/duḥkha). Liberation requires not merely exhausting karma but ceasing identification that perpetuates new karmic production.