Shloka 17
पुत्रघ्नीं धर्महंत्रीं च ब्रह्मदंडहतामपि । निःसारयत मे बापि देहो ज्वलति दर्शंनात् ॥ १७ ॥
putraghnīṃ dharmahaṃtrīṃ ca brahmadaṃḍahatāmapi | niḥsārayata me bāpi deho jvalati darśaṃnāt || 17 ||
पुत्रघ्नीं धर्महन्त्रीं च ब्रह्मदण्डहतामपि। निःसारयत मे बापि देहो ज्वलति दर्शनात्॥१७॥
A distressed son addressing his father (narrative dialogue within the Tirtha-Mahatmya)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
FAQs
The verse highlights the immediate inner torment caused by adharma: grave wrongdoing (like harming one’s own child and violating dharma) becomes spiritually unbearable, prompting rejection of sin and the search for purification.
Indirectly, it shows that bhakti and purity require turning away from adharma; disgust for sin and fear of its karmic heat become the emotional ground for seeking refuge in sacred practices and ultimately devotion to the Lord.
The verse draws on dharma-śāstric ethics rather than a Vedanga technique: it reflects the principle of pāpa-phala (the felt consequence of sin) and the need for prāyaścitta (expiation), often prescribed in Purāṇic and Smṛti traditions.