Shloka 61

पञ्चाप्सरो-सरः कथनम् तथा अगस्त्याश्रममार्गनिर्देशः

Panchapsara Lake Account and Directions to Agastya

Devanagari script

ब्राह्माणानां सहस्राणि तैरेवं कामरूपिभिः।।।।विनाशितानि संहत्य नित्यशः पिशिताशनैः।

Transliteration

brāhmaṇānāṃ sahasrāṇi tair evaṃ kāmarūpibhiḥ | vināśitāni saṃhatya nityaśaḥ piśitāśanaiḥ || 3.11.61 ||

Translation

Assim, milhares de brâmanes foram destruídos dia após dia por aqueles demônios carnívoros capazes de assumir qualquer forma à vontade.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: कर्म (Karma; object understood with vināśitāni)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक (thousands)

• तैः: by them
• तैः: करण (Karaṇa; agent/means in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• एवम्: thus, in that way
• एवम्: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• कामरूपिभिः: by those who can assume forms at will
• कामरूपिभिः: करण (qualifier of तैः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (कामेन रूपं यस्य/येषाम्)

• विनाशितानि: destroyed
• विनाशितानि: कर्म (Karma; 'destroyed'—predicate of sahasrāṇi)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√नश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• संहत्य: having slain together, collectively
• संहत्य: पूर्वकाल
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund)

• नित्यशः: daily, continually
• नित्यशः: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आवृत्तिवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (frequency)

• पिशिताशनैः: by flesh-eaters
• पिशिताशनैः: करण (qualifier of तैः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिशित + अशन्/आशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (पिशितम् अश्नन्ति ये)

Context

In this manner, thousands of brahmins used to be killed daily by those carnivorous demons who assumed any form at their free will.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa (brahmins)

FAQs

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

Dharma requires safeguarding those who uphold sacred learning and rites; systematic harm to them is presented as a sign of societal collapse into adharma.

What is the narrative situation?

The text summarizes the ongoing pattern of killings carried out by the deceptive, shape-shifting demons, emphasizing the scale and regularity of the crime.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Steadfastness in protecting the vulnerable and maintaining ṛta/dharma—an implicit call for righteous intervention against repeated injustice.