Vamana Purana — Karmic Causes of Narakas, Shloka 26

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

Devanagari script

स्वपोषणपरो यस्तु परित्यजति मानवः पुत्रभृत्यकलत्रादिबन्धुवर्गमकिञ्चनम् दुर्भिक्षे संभ्रमे चापि स श्वभोज्ये निपात्यते

Transliteration

svapoṣaṇaparo yastu parityajati mānavaḥ putrabhṛtyakalatrādibandhuvargamakiñcanam durbhikṣe saṃbhrame cāpi sa śvabhojye nipātyate

Translation

ଯେ ମନୁଷ୍ୟ ନିଜ ପୋଷଣରେ ମାତ୍ର ଲଗ୍ନ ରହି, ଦୁର୍ଭିକ୍ଷ ଓ ଆତଙ୍କ ସମୟରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଦରିଦ୍ର ପୁତ୍ର, ଭୃତ୍ୟ, ପତ୍ନୀ ଆଦି ବନ୍ଧୁବର୍ଗକୁ ପରିତ୍ୟାଗ କରେ, ସେ ‘ଶ୍ୱଭୋଜ୍ୟ’ ନାମକ ନରକ/ଦଶାରେ ପତିତ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• स्वपोषणपरः: devoted to self-maintenance
• स्वपोषणपरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व+पोषण+पर (प्रातिपदिक); स्व=स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक), पोषण=पोषण (प्रातिपदिक), पर=पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative): 'स्वस्य पोषणम्' इत्यस्मिन् परः

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/contrast)

• परित्यजति: abandons
• परित्यजति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-√त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); उपसर्ग: परि

• मानवः: a man
• मानवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुत्रभृत्यकलत्रादिबन्धुवर्गम्: the group of sons, servants, wife, and other relatives
• पुत्रभृत्यकलत्रादिबन्धुवर्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र+भृत्य+कलत्र+आदि+बन्धु+वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समाहार/निर्देश-तत्पुरुषः (enumerative determinative)

• अकिञ्चनम्: helpless, without possessions
• अकिञ्चनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकिञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• दुर्भिक्षे: in famine
• दुर्भिक्षे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्भिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• संभ्रमे: in panic/confusion
• संभ्रमे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संभ्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/additive)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्वभोज्ये: in dog-food (state/place of being eaten by dogs)
• श्वभोज्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वभोज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: श्वनां भोज्यम् (food of dogs)

• निपात्यते: is cast down, is thrown
• निपात्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

Speakers

• Dialogue framework not explicit in the provided excerpt; commonly Pulastya → Nārada in Vāmana Purāṇa

Key Themes

• Gṛhastha-dharma
• Duty to dependents
• Ethics in crisis (famine/emergency)
• Pāpa-phala (karmic consequence)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Gṛhastha life is defined by responsibility, not mere survival. In hardship, dharma intensifies: abandoning those who rely on you (children, spouse, dependents, kin) is treated as a grave moral failure. The verse promotes solidarity, protection of the vulnerable, and sacrifice of selfishness.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Like many purāṇic nīti passages, it is an instructional dharma segment rather than a core pancalakṣaṇa narrative. It functions as ethical codification embedded within purāṇic discourse (upadeśa), not as sarga/pratisarga/vamśa/vamśānucarita/manvantara description.

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Śvabhojya’ (dog-food) symbolizes loss of human dignity and social-personal status due to betrayal of dharma. Dogs represent scavenging and abandonment; the punishment mirrors the offender’s own abandonment of dependents.