Shloka 86

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

Sanskrit

चण्डाल उवाच चण्डालोऽहमिहाख्यातः प्रवीरेति पुरोत्तमे । विख्यातो वध्यवधको मृतकम्बलहारकः ॥

Transliteration

caṇḍāla uvāca caṇḍālo 'ham ihākhyātaḥ pravīreti purottame / vikhyāto vadhyavadhako mṛtakambalahārakaḥ

Translation

Caṇḍāla itu berkata: “Di sini aku dikenali sebagai Pravīra, wahai yang terbaik antara manusia. Aku terkenal buruk sebagai algojo bagi mereka yang dijatuhi hukuman mati, dan sebagai orang yang membawa pergi selimut orang mati.”

Word by Word

चण्डालःthe Caṇḍāla

उवाचsaid

चण्डालःa Caṇḍāla

अहम्I

इहhere

आख्यातःis known/called

प्रवीरPravīra

इतिthus

पुरोत्तमेO best of men

विख्यातःrenowned/known

वध्यवधकःslayer of the condemned

मृतकम्बलहारकःtaker of blankets from the dead

Speakers

Caṇḍāla (named Pravīra) speaking to an unnamed ‘best of men’ (purottama) within the chapter’s narrative dialogue

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

DharmaSocial identity (varṇa/outcaste designation in Purāṇic narrative)Karma and livelihoodConfession / self-disclosureEthics of violence and death-related occupations

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse presents a blunt self-disclosure of identity and livelihood: the speaker admits to occupations tied to death (executing the condemned and taking possessions from the dead). Ethically, it foregrounds how social status and karma-laden professions are discussed in Purāṇic narratives—often as a setup for exploring repentance, purity/impurity notions, and the possibility (or limits) of dharmic transformation despite a stigmatized role.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse is not primarily sarga (creation), pratisarga (re-creation), vaṃśa (genealogies), manvantara (Manu cycles), or vaṃśānucarita (dynastic chronicles). It belongs to the Purāṇa’s narrative-ethical material (ākhyāna/upākhyāna) used to teach dharma through dialogue and characterization, which is ancillary to (but common within) Purāṇic composition.

What is the esoteric significance?

Symbolically, the ‘executioner of the condemned’ can represent the inescapability of karmic consequence (daṇḍa/phala), while ‘taking the dead man’s blanket’ evokes attachment to what is inherently transient. The confession functions as a narrative threshold: a figure associated with impurity and death stands as a mirror for the listener’s own latent fear, judgment, and attachment—preparing the ground for a teaching on dharma that transcends mere social labeling.