Shloka 143

Aśoka-śāstra: Nārada’s Instruction on the Cessation of Śoka

Grief

Devanagari script

देवतायतनस्थस्तु सप्तरात्रेण मृत्युभाक्‌ जो देवमन्दिरमें बैठकर वहाँकी सुगन्धित वस्तुमें सड़े मुर्देकी-सी दुर्गन्धका अनुभव करता है, वह सात दिनमें ही मृत्युको प्राप्त हो जाता है

Transliteration

devatāyatanasthas tu sapta-rātreṇa mṛtyu-bhāk

Translation

ଯାଜ୍ଞବଲ୍କ୍ୟ ଘୋଷଣା କଲେ—ଯେ ଦେବମନ୍ଦିରରେ ବସିଥିଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ସେଠାର ସୁଗନ୍ଧିତ ଦ୍ରବ୍ୟରେ ସଡ଼ିଥିବା ଶବର ଦୁର୍ଗନ୍ଧ ଭଳି ଗନ୍ଧ ଅନୁଭବ କରେ, ସେ ସାତ ରାତି ମଧ୍ୟରେ ମୃତ୍ୟୁକୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ହୁଏ। ଏହି ଶିକ୍ଷା ଦର୍ଶାଏ—ପବିତ୍ର ସ୍ଥାନରେ ଅନାଦର, ଅନ୍ତଃଶୁଦ୍ଧିର ଅଭାବ କିମ୍ବା ଅପବିତ୍ର ଆଚରଣର ପରିଣାମ ଶୀଘ୍ର ଓ କଠୋର; ତେଣୁ ପୂଜାରେ ଶୁଦ୍ଧି ଓ ଯଥୋଚିତ ଭାବ ଅନିବାର୍ୟ।

Word by Word

• देवतायतनस्थः: one situated in a देवतायतन (temple/shrine)
• देवतायतनस्थः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवतायतन-स्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• सप्तरात्रेण: within seven nights (in seven days)
• सप्तरात्रेण: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त-रात्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• मृत्युभाक्: partaker of death; one who meets death
• मृत्युभाक्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत्यु-भाज्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya
• devatāyatana (deity’s shrine/temple)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sacred spaces demand inner and outer purity; perceiving foulness where sanctity should be felt signals grave impurity or sacrilege, bringing swift karmic consequence.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a didactic passage, Yājñavalkya states a rule-like warning: a person who sits in a deity’s shrine yet encounters the stench of a corpse (instead of sacred fragrance) is said to die within seven nights, stressing the seriousness of improper conduct in worship.