Shloka 144

Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala

Sanskrit

ततो निपातितो भूमौ विष्ठाशी श्वा व्यजायत । वान्ताशी शीतदग्धश्च मासमात्रे मृतोऽपि सः ॥

Transliteration

tato nipātito bhūmau viṣṭhāśī śvā vyajāyata / vāntāśī śītadagdhaś ca māsamātre mṛto 'pi saḥ

Translation

అప్పుడు అతడు నేలపై పడవేయబడి, మలమును భక్షించే కుక్కగా జన్మించాడు. వాంతిని తిని, శీతంతో దగ్ధుడై, కేవలం ఒక నెలలోనే మరణించాడు।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) of sequence; ‘thereupon/then’

• nipātitaḥ: having been thrown down
• nipātitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (as subject of passive sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni√pat (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kridanta past passive participle (कर्मणि भूतकृदन्त/क्त), Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular; agrees with śvā

• bhūmau: on the ground
• bhūmau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (भूमि) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; location

• viṣṭhāśī: eating excrement
• viṣṭhāśī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣṭhā-āśin (विष्ठा + आशिन्) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘viṣṭhāṃ aśnāti’; Masculine, Nominative Singular; adjective to śvā

• śvā: a dog
• śvā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śvan (श्वन्) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• vyajāyata: was born
• vyajāyata: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi√jan (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Ātmanepada; ‘was born/was produced’

• vāntāśī: eating vomit
• vāntāśī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vānta-āśin (वान्त + आशिन्) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘vāntaṃ aśnāti’; Masculine, Nominative Singular; adjective to saḥ (the same being)

• śītadagdhaḥ: burnt by cold (frostbitten)
• śītadagdhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śīta-dagdha (शीत + दग्ध) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘śītena dagdhaḥ’ (burnt/frostbitten by cold); Masculine, Nominative Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• māsa-mātre: within a mere month
• māsa-mātre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa-mātra (मास + मात्र) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘māsasya mātram’; Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; time-locative

• mṛtaḥ: dead
• mṛtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛta (मृत) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; predicate adjective

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle (निपात) conveying ‘even/also’

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

Speakers

• Narratorial voice within the frame (specific speaker not identifiable from provided excerpt alone)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "bībhatsa", "secondaryRasa": "bhayānaka", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Karma
• Rebirth
• Suffering in low births
• Moral causality

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse depicts the harsh fruition of adharma: consciousness is driven into degrading embodiments where life is brief and painful. It functions as a warning that status and power cannot shield one from karmic consequence.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily within Vamśānucarita / narrative exemplum (ethical history/illustration) rather than Sarga/Pratisarga proper; it is a didactic episode teaching karmaphala through story.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘low foods’ (feces, vomit) symbolize the mind’s fall into tamas and compulsive consumption; ‘burned by cold’ conveys the torment of embodiment when inner dharma-heat (tapas) is absent.