Shloka 11
Somaka–Jantu Ākhyāna: Desire-Driven Sacrifice and Shared Karmic Consequence
अथ तं नरके घोरे पच्यमानं ददर्श सः । तमपृच्छत् किमर्थ त्वं नरके पच्यसे द्विज
atha taṃ narake ghore pacyamānaṃ dadarśa saḥ | tam apṛcchat kimartha tvaṃ narake pacyase dvija ||
แล้วเขาเห็นพราหมณ์ผู้นั้นกำลังถูกทรมาน ถูกเผาไหม้อยู่ในนรกอันน่าสะพรึงกลัว จึงถามว่า “โอ้ทวิชะ ผู้เกิดสองครั้ง เหตุใดท่านจึงถูกเผาอยู่ในนรก?”
लोगमश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights karmic accountability: social or ritual status (being a dvija) does not exempt one from the ethical consequences of wrongdoing; dharma demands inquiry into causes and responsibility.
Lomaśa sees a brāhmaṇa suffering torment in a dreadful hell and directly asks him the reason for his punishment, setting up an explanation of the deed(s) that led to this fate.