Shloka 9

Adhyaya 13 — The Son’s Account of Hell and the Question of Unseen Sin

Sanskrit

पुरुषः स तदा दृष्ट्वा यातनाशतसंकुलम् ।

नरकं प्राह तं याम्यं किङ्करं कृपयान्वितः ॥

Transliteration

puruṣaḥ sa tadā dṛṣṭvā yātanāśata-saṃkulam | narakaṃ prāha taṃ yāmyaṃ kiṅkaraṃ kṛpayānvitaḥ

Translation

ਤਦ ਉਸ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਨੇ ਸੈਂਕੜਿਆਂ ਯਾਤਨਾਵਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਭਰੇ ਨਰਕ ਨੂੰ ਵੇਖ ਕੇ, ਦਇਆ ਨਾਲ ਉਸ ਯਾਮ੍ਯ ਸੇਵਕ (ਯਮਦੂਤ) ਨੂੰ ਸੰਬੋਧਨ ਕਰਕੇ ਕਿਹਾ।

Word by Word

• पुरुषः: the man
• पुरुषः: कर्ता (Karta/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• तदा: then
• तदा: क्रियाविशेषण (temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/time adverb)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: पूर्वकाल (prior action; adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having seen’

• यातनाशतसंकुलम्: filled with hundreds of torments
• यातनाशतसंकुलम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa to नरकम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यातना-शत-संकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: यातनानां शतेन संकुलम् (crowded with hundreds of torments)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: कर्म (Karma/object of दृष्ट्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: क्रिया (verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आह्/अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तम्: to him
• तम्: कर्म (Karma/object of प्राह; addressee)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• याम्यम्: Yama’s
• याम्यम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; किङ्करम् इति विशेषण

• किङ्करम्: servant, attendant
• किङ्करम्: कर्म (Karma/object/addressee of प्राह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कृपया: with compassion
• कृपया: करण (Karaṇa; ‘with/by’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अन्वितः: endowed (with)
• अन्वितः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; पुरुषः इति विशेषण

Speakers

• The ‘puruṣa’ (later identified as Vipaścit) addressing a Yāmya kiṅkara

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Yama

Key Themes

• Compassion
• Moral inquiry
• Naraka torments

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Compassion is not negated by grim surroundings; the virtuous respond to suffering with inquiry and concern, not numbness.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ethical narrative (dharma-upadeśa through story) ancillary to pancalakṣaṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

The compassionate address in hell suggests the bodhisattva-like motif in Purāṇic ethics: higher virtue turns even punitive visions into occasions for understanding and aid.