Shloka 8

ताटकावृत्तान्तः

The Account of Tāṭakā and the Royal Duty to Protect

Devanagari script

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य यक्षी पुत्रमजायत।मारीचं नाम दुर्धर्षं यश्शापाद्राक्षसोऽभवत्।।।।

Transliteration

kasyacit tv atha kālasya yakṣī putram ajāyata |

mārīcaṃ nāma durdharṣaṃ yaḥ śāpād rākṣaso 'bhavat ||

Translation

ਕੁਝ ਸਮੇਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਉਸ ਯਕ੍ਸ਼ੀ ਨੇ ਇਕ ਪੁੱਤਰ ਨੂੰ ਜਨਮ ਦਿੱਤਾ—ਅਦਮ੍ਯ, ਮਾਰੀਚ ਨਾਮ ਦਾ; ਜੋ ਸ਼ਾਪ ਕਾਰਨ ਰਾਕਸ਼ਸ ਬਣ ਗਿਆ।

Word by Word

• kasyacit: of some
• kasyacit: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Puṃliṅga/Neuter, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive) Ekavacana; indefinite sense ('some')

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, emphasis particle

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (discourse)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, sequence particle (then/thereafter)

• kālasya: time/period
• kālasya: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण; genitive of time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive) Ekavacana

• yakṣī: the yakṣī (female yakṣa)
• yakṣī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yakṣī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative) Ekavacana

• putram: a son
• putram: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative) Ekavacana

• ajāyata: gave birth/was born
• ajāyata: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (Imperfect/Past), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana, Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• mārīcaṃ: Mārīca
• mārīcaṃ: Karma (कर्म; apposition to putram)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārīca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative) Ekavacana

• nāma: named
• nāma: Sambandha (Name-marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, name-particle

• durdharṣaṃ: unassailable
• durdharṣaṃ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur + dharṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti Ekavacana

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; relative pronoun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti Ekavacana

• śāpāt: from/because of a curse
• śāpāt: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Pañcamī vibhakti (Ablative/पञ्चमी) Ekavacana

• rākṣasaḥ: a rākṣasa
• rākṣasaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti Ekavacana

• abhavat: became
• abhavat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (Imperfect/Past), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana, Parasmaipada

Context

After some time that yakshini gave birth to an unassailable son by name Maricha. Because of a curse, he became a rakshasa (though born of yaksha parentage).

Characters & Entities

• Tāṭakā (Yakṣī)
• Mārīca
• Curse (śāpa)
• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Actions and moral ruptures can lead to transformative consequences (śāpa as a narrative form of karmic result), altering one’s nature and destiny.

What is the narrative situation?

Viśvāmitra introduces Mārīca as Tāṭakā’s son and notes his change into a rākṣasa due to a curse.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The verse emphasizes vulnerability to moral consequence rather than virtue—how a curse can redirect a life toward adharmic identity.