Shloka 42

Adhyaya 76 — The Sixth Manvantara: Cakshusha Manu, the Child-Snatcher, and the Problem of Kinship

Sanskrit

आनन्द उवाच आत्मनः शुद्धिकामोऽहं करोमि भगवन्स्तपः ।

बन्धाय मम कर्माणि यानि तत्क्षपणोन्मुखः ॥

Transliteration

ānanda uvāca ātmanaḥ śuddhikāmo 'haṃ karomi bhagavaṃs tapaḥ / bandhāya mama karmāṇi yāni tatkṣapaṇonmukhaḥ

Translation

Ānanda disse: “Desejando a purificação de mim mesmo, ó Senhor Bem-aventurado, pratico a austeridade (tapas), decidido a destruir aquelas ações minhas que se tornaram causa de servidão (bandhana).”

Word by Word

• ānandaḥ: Ānanda
• ānandaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ātmanaḥ: of (my) self
• ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• śuddhi-kāmaḥ: desirous of purification
• śuddhi-kāmaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śuddheḥ kāmaḥ = desiring purification)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• karomi: do / perform
• karomi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• bhagavan: O Lord
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• tapaḥ: austerity, penance
• tapaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• bandhāya: for bondage
• bandhāya: Sampradāna/Prayojana (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• karmāṇi: actions
• karmāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन (Plural)

• yāni: which
• yāni: Anvaya-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• tat-kṣapaṇa-unmukhaḥ: intent on destroying them
• tat-kṣapaṇa-unmukhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + kṣapaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + unmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (tat-kṣapaṇa = its destruction) + उपपद-समास/तत्पुरुष (kṣapaṇe unmukhaḥ = intent on destroying)

Speakers

• Ānanda to Brahmā (within Mārkaṇḍeya’s narration)

Primary Deities

• Brahmā

Key Themes

• Karma
• Bondage and liberation
• Tapas
• Purification
• Moksha-eligibility

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse frames tapas as a deliberate discipline aimed at purifying the self and eroding bondage-producing karma; it foregrounds personal responsibility for liberation rather than mere ritual performance.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

It functions as a bridge into Manvantara material (manvantara), while also touching on conduct and liberation (a dharma/mokṣa-oriented excursus within the manvantara narration).

What is the esoteric significance?

“Karma that binds” is presented as a removable accretion; tapas symbolizes the inner heat that ‘cooks’ latent impressions (saṃskāras) so that the self’s clarity can manifest.