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Shloka 1

Adhyaya 15 — Karmic Retribution: Rebirths After Naraka and the King’s Compassion in Hell

Sanskrit

इति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे जडोपाख्याने यमकिङ्करसंबादो नाम चतुर्दशोऽध्यायः ।

पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः

यमकिङ्कर उवाच ।

पतितात् प्रतिगृह्यार्थं खरयोनिṃ व्रजेद् द्विजः ।

नरकात् प्रतिमुक्तस्तु कृमिः पतितयाजकः ॥

Transliteration

iti śrīmārkaṇḍeyapurāṇe jaḍopākhyāne yamakiṅkarasaṃvādo nāma caturdaśo 'dhyāyaḥ /

pañcadaśo 'dhyāyaḥ /

yamakiṅkara uvāca /

patitāt pratigṛhyārthaṃ kharayoniṃ vrajed dvijaḥ /

narakāt pratimuktas tu kṛmiḥ patitayājakaḥ

Translation

ଏହିପରି ଶ୍ରୀମାର୍କଣ୍ଡେୟ ପୁରାଣର ଜଡୋପାଖ୍ୟାନରେ ‘ଯମଦୂତ-ସଂବାଦ’ ନାମ ଚତୁର୍ଦ୍ଦଶ ଅଧ୍ୟାୟ ସମାପ୍ତ ହେଲା। ଏବେ ପଞ୍ଚଦଶ ଅଧ୍ୟାୟ ଆରମ୍ଭ। ଯମଦୂତ କହିଲା—ପତିତଙ୍କଠାରୁ ଧନ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରୁଥିବା ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ଗର୍ଦ୍ଦଭ ଯୋନିକୁ ଯାଏ; ପତିତ ପାଇଁ ଯଜ୍ଞ କରାଉଥିବା ଋତ୍ୱିଜ ନରକରୁ ମୁକ୍ତ ହୋଇ କୃମି ହୁଏ।

Word by Word
itithus
iti:
Vākyārtha-dyotaka (वाक्यार्थद्योतक)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
FormQuotative particle (इति-निपात)
śrī-mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇein the revered Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa
śrī-mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇe:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootśrī+mārkaṇḍeya+purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)
jaḍa-upākhyānein the episode called ‘Jaḍa’
jaḍa-upākhyāne:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootjaḍa+upākhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)
yama-kiṅkara-saṃvādaḥthe dialogue of Yama’s attendants
yama-kiṅkara-saṃvādaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyama+kiṅkara+saṃvāda (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
nāmanamed
nāma:
Viśeṣaṇa-dyotaka (विशेषणद्योतक)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootnāma (अव्यय)
FormIndeclinable used as nomen-marker (नाम-निपात)
caturdaśaḥfourteenth
caturdaśaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootcaturdaśa (प्रातिपदिक; numeral)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); ordinal sense ‘fourteenth’
adhyāyaḥchapter
adhyāyaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootadhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
pañcadaśaḥfifteenth
pañcadaśaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpañcadaśa (प्रातिपदिक; numeral)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); ordinal sense ‘fifteenth’
adhyāyaḥchapter
adhyāyaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootadhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
yama-kiṅkaraḥYama’s attendant
yama-kiṅkaraḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyama+kiṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
uvācasaid
uvāca:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√vac (वच् धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
patitātfrom a fallen (person)
patitāt:
Apādāna (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootpatita (प्रातिपदिक; √pat (पत्) क्त)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन)
pratigṛhya-arthamfor the purpose of accepting (a gift)
pratigṛhya-artham:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootprati-√grah (ग्रह् धातु) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormGerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्) ‘pratigṛhya’ + accusative ‘artham’; whole used adverbially (अव्ययीभाव) meaning ‘for the purpose of accepting’
khara-yonimthe womb/species of a donkey
khara-yonim:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkhara+yoni (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)
vrajetwould go / should go
vrajet:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√vraj (व्रज् धातु)
FormOptative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
dvijaḥa Brahmin (twice-born)
dvijaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
narakātfrom hell
narakāt:
Apādāna (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootnaraka (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन)
pratimuktaḥreleased (after punishment)
pratimuktaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootprati+mukta (प्रातिपदिक; prati + √muc (मुच्) क्त)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); PPP (क्त)
tubut / indeed
tu:
Sambandha/Anvaya (सम्बन्ध/अन्वय)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
FormParticle (विरोध/अवधारणार्थक निपात)
kṛmiḥa worm
kṛmiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkṛmi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
patita-yājakaḥone who officiates for a fallen person
patita-yājakaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootpatita+yājaka (प्रातिपदिक; patita + yājaka)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
Speakers
Yamakiṅkara (speaker explicitly named at chapter opening)
Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities
Yama
Key Themes
DharmaRitual purityProfessional ethics of priestsKarmic rebirth

FAQs

The verse warns against monetizing sacred office through association with those deemed ritually fallen. It frames priestly livelihood as ethically constrained, with consequences for compromising standards.

Ancillary dharma teaching; not directly sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita.

Donkey and worm symbolize burden-bearing and low, crawling existence—images of spiritual diminishment that mirror the degradation of discernment (viveka) when dharma is traded for gain.

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