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Shloka 59

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

गावोऽग्निर्जननी विप्रोज्येष्ठभ्राता पिता स्वसा ।

जामयो गुरवो वृद्धा यैः स्पृष्टास्तु पदा नृभिः ॥

gāvo 'gnir jananī vipro jyeṣṭha-bhrātā pitā svasā /

jāmayo guravo vṛddhā yaiḥ spṛṣṭās tu padā nṛbhiḥ

గోవులను, అగ్నిని, తల్లిని, బ్రాహ్మణుని, పెద్ద అన్నను, తండ్రిని, అక్కచెల్లెలిని, వివాహసంబంధిన స్త్రీబంధువులను, గురువులను, వృద్ధులను పాదంతో తన్నినవారికి ఘోరమైన ఫలితాలు అనుసరిస్తాయి।

gāvaḥcows
gāvaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootgo (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन)
agniḥfire
agniḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootagni (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)
jananīmother
jananī:
Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootjananī (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)
vipraḥa brahmin
vipraḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootvipra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)
jyeṣṭha-bhrātāelder brother
jyeṣṭha-bhrātā:
Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootjyeṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारयः ‘ज्येष्ठः भ्राता’
pitāfather
pitā:
Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootpitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)
svasāsister
svasā:
Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootsvasṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)
jāmayaḥkinsmen/relatives by marriage
jāmayaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootjāmi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन)
guravaḥteachers/elders
guravaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootguru (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन)
vṛddhāḥthe aged
vṛddhāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootvṛddha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन)
yaiḥby whom
yaiḥ:
Karana (करण/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
FormMasculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural (बहुवचन); relative pronoun
spṛṣṭāḥtouched
spṛṣṭāḥ:
Karma (कर्म/Patient)
TypeVerb
Rootspṛś (धातु)
FormPast passive participle (क्त/कर्मणि), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural (बहुवचन)
tuindeed/but
tu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
FormParticle (निपात), contrast/emphasis
padāwith the foot
padā:
Karana (करण/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootpada (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Singular (एकवचन)
nṛbhiḥby men
nṛbhiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Agent)
TypeNoun
Rootnṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural (बहुवचन)
Narratorial description of Yama’s punishments (Yama/Yamadūtas context implied by subsequent verses)

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

Yama (implied)Agni (as sacred fire)
DharmaAparādha (offenses)Karma-phalaNaraka

FAQs

Reverence (satkāra) toward sanctified beings and dharma-pillars—parents, teachers, elders, brāhmaṇas, cows, and fire—is non-negotiable in the Purāṇic ethic. Physical contempt (kicking) is treated as a direct violation of ṛta/dharma, producing severe karmic retribution.

Primarily ‘Vamśānucarita/Dharma’ material (ethical conduct and its fruits), not sarga/pratisarga. It functions as didactic naraka-varṇana (hell-description) used to reinforce varṇāśrama-dharma.

The ‘foot’ symbolizes egoic dominance and disrespect. To place it upon the sacred (agni, go, guru, mātṛ) is to invert the proper hierarchy of consciousness; the ensuing bondage imagery in later verses mirrors self-forged inner bondage.