Shloka 15
The Account of Mohinī
Mohinī-upākhyāna
दूतान्स्वान्प्रत्युवाचेयं निःसार्या मम मंदिरात् । यो ब्रह्मदंडनिर्दग्धः पुमान् स्त्री वा च तस्करः ॥ १५ ॥
dūtānsvānpratyuvāceyaṃ niḥsāryā mama maṃdirāt | yo brahmadaṃḍanirdagdhaḥ pumān strī vā ca taskaraḥ || 15 ||
Lalu dia berkata kepada para pengiringnya: “Halau keluar dari kuilku sesiapa pun—lelaki atau perempuan—yang telah disalai oleh tongkat hukuman Brahmā, dan juga para pencuri.”
Narrator (Purana narration; dialogue line attributed to a female authority/deity within the episode)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
The verse emphasizes that sacred spaces are protected by dharma: those marked by serious wrongdoing (symbolized by “Brahmā’s rod”) and those who steal are unfit for temple proximity until reformed, underscoring reverence, moral accountability, and sanctity of worship.
Bhakti is not only emotion but disciplined conduct; devotion requires śauca (purity), honesty, and respect for the mandira. By excluding theft and grave transgression, the text frames devotion as inseparable from ethical living and repentance before approaching the deity.
It reflects kalpa-oriented temple and ritual discipline (procedural dharma): maintaining sanctity of a worship स्थल by regulating entry, behavior, and moral eligibility—practical guidance aligned with ritual norms rather than grammar or astrology.