Vamana Purana — Karmic Causes of Narakas, Shloka 12

Karmic Causes of Narakas and the Irremediability of Ingratitude (Kṛtaghna-doṣa)

Devanagari script

देवतातिथिभूतेषु भृत्येष्वभ्यागतेषु च अभुक्तवत्सु ये ऽश्नन्ति बालपित्रग्निमातृषु

Transliteration

devatātithibhūteṣu bhṛtyeṣvabhyāgateṣu ca abhuktavatsu ye 'śnanti bālapitragnimātṛṣu

Translation

ଦେବତା, ଅତିଥି, ପ୍ରାଣୀ, ଭୃତ୍ୟ ଓ ଆଗନ୍ତୁକମାନେ ଭୋଜନ ନକରିଥିବାବେଳେ ଯେ ନିଜେ ଖାଏ, ଏବଂ ଶିଶୁ, ପିତା, ଯଜ୍ଞାଗ୍ନି, ମାତା ଅଭୁକ୍ତ ଥିବାବେଳେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଖାଏ—ସେ ଗୁରୁତର ଦୋଷ କରେ।

Word by Word

• devatā-atithi-bhūteṣu: among gods, guests, and beings
• devatā-atithi-bhūteṣu: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक) + atithi (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः

• bhṛtyeṣu: among servants/dependents
• bhṛtyeṣu: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• abhyāgateṣu: among those who have arrived (visitors)
• abhyāgateṣu: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhyāgata (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (arrived)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• abhuktavatsu: while they have not eaten
• abhuktavatsu: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-bhukta-vat (प्रातिपदिक; -वत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक + क्त (भुक्त) + वत् (possessing)

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• aśnanti: eat
• aśnanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: aś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• bāla-pitṛ-agni-mātṛṣu: in the presence of children, father, fire, and mother
• bāla-pitṛ-agni-mātṛṣu: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक) + pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक) + mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (समाहार), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः

Speakers

• Not specified in input (commonly Pulastya → Nārada framework in Vāmana Purāṇa)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Atithi-satkara (hospitality)
• Gṛhastha duties
• Karmaphala warnings
• Non-violence/compassion to beings

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Householder ethics prioritize feeding and honoring dependents, guests, and ritual obligations before one’s own consumption. The verse encodes a hierarchy of responsibility—divine share (devatā/agni), social duty (atithi/abhyāgata/bhṛtya), and care for the vulnerable (bāla/bhūta)—as a marker of dharma.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is dharma-śikṣā (ethical instruction) embedded in Purāṇic discourse, not a direct pañcalakṣaṇa unit. It supports the Purāṇic function of teaching right conduct alongside cosmology and genealogies.

What is the symbolic significance?

Eating first symbolizes ego-centered living; feeding others first symbolizes yajña-spirit—life sustained through reciprocity and offering. Mentioning agni links domestic ethics to sacrificial order: neglect of others is framed as neglect of the cosmic/ritual principle.