Shloka 9

Adhyaya 14 — The Messenger of Yama Explains Karmic Retribution and the Causes of Naraka Torments

Sanskrit

वज्रतुण्डास्त्वमी काकाः पुंसां नयनहारिणः ।

पुनः पुनश्च नेत्राणि तद्वदेवेषां भवन्ति हि ॥

Transliteration

vajratuṇḍās tv amī kākāḥ puṃsāṃ nayanahāriṇaḥ / punaḥ punaś ca netrāṇi tad-vad eṣāṃ bhavanti hi //

Translation

वज्रतुण्डाश्च काका ये नराणामक्षिपाटनम् । कुर्वन्ति सम्भवन्त्येवमक्ष्णी भूयो ऽपि चासकृत् ॥

Word by Word

• vajra-tuṇḍāḥ: (they) with beak like a thunderbolt
• vajra-tuṇḍāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vajra (प्रातिपदिक) + tuṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (वज्रमिव तुण्डं येषाम्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

• amī: these
• amī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• kākāḥ: crows
• kākāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• puṃsām: of men
• puṃsām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• nayana-hāriṇaḥ: eye-stealing
• nayana-hāriṇaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nayana (प्रातिपदिक) + hārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (नयनं हरन्ति इति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'again')

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction: 'and')

• netrāṇi: eyes
• netrāṇi: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (or द्वितीया) बहुवचन; अत्र कर्तृपद (subject)

• tadvat: likewise
• tadvat: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तुलनार्थक (comparative adverb: 'likewise/so')

• eṣām: of these (crows)
• eṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• bhavanti: become / come to be
• bhavanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• hi: indeed
• hi: Hetu (हेतु/Justificatory particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: 'indeed/for')

Speakers

• King questioning/observing; narrative continues toward Yama-messenger’s explanation

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Yama

Key Themes

• Karma
• Retribution
• Naraka
• Moral causality

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Suffering is portrayed as repetitive when the underlying karmic cause persists; the regrowth of eyes underscores ‘bhoga’ (experiencing consequences) until the karmic stock is exhausted.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Didactic dharma material (not sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita proper), but used as ethical reinforcement within the Purāṇic narrative method.

What is the esoteric significance?

Eyes symbolize perception and ethical discernment; repeated loss suggests the spiritual cost of misused sight—seeing wrongly, coveting, or violating moral boundaries—leading to darkness of understanding.