Shloka 18

Adhyaya 12 — The Son Describes the Narakas: Mahāraurava, Tamas, Nikṛntana, Apratiṣṭha, Asipatravana, and Taptakumbha

Sanskrit

छिन्नानि तेषां शतशः खण्डान्यैक्यं व्रजन्ति च ।

एवं वर्षसहस्राणि छिद्यन्ते पापकर्मिणः ॥

Transliteration

chinnāni teṣāṃ śataśaḥ khaṇḍāny aikyaṃ vrajanti ca /

evaṃ varṣa-sahasrāṇi chidyante pāpakarmiṇaḥ

Translation

ชิ้นส่วนร่างกายที่ถูกตัดขาดนับร้อยชิ้นกลับมาต่อติดกันอีกครั้ง ด้วยเหตุนี้ ผู้กระทำบาปจึงถูกตัดเฉือนซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่าเป็นเวลาหลายพันปี

Word by Word

• छिन्नानि: cut, severed
• छिन्नानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √छिद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; अत्र ‘खण्डानि’ इति विशेषणम्

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• शतशः: by hundreds
• शतशः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शतशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/वितरणवाचक (distributive adverb: ‘by hundreds/in hundreds’)

• खण्डानि: pieces, fragments
• खण्डानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ऐक्यम्: unity, oneness
• ऐक्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• व्रजन्ति: they go/return
• व्रजन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb)

• वर्ष-सहस्राणि: for thousands of years
• वर्ष-सहस्राणि: Kala-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण/अवधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical compound: ‘thousands of years’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कालावधि (duration)

• छिद्यन्ते: are cut
• छिद्यन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √छिद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive: ‘are cut’)

• पाप-कर्मिणः: sinful-doers
• पाप-कर्मिणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (one whose deeds are sinful / doer of sin), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speakers

• Narrator (frame-speakers not determinable from excerpt alone)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Yama (implicit)

Key Themes

• Karma
• Temporal magnitude (varṣa-sahasra)
• Moral deterrence

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text stresses both the intensity and duration of karmic suffering, aiming to cultivate moral fear (bhaya) that redirects one toward dharma, charity, restraint, and truth.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary dharma teaching: karmaphala exposition used as ethical governance within a Purāṇic narrative.

What is the esoteric significance?

The repeated ‘cutting and rejoining’ symbolizes cyclic fragmentation of the psyche under unresolved vices; without inner purification, patterns re-form and suffering repeats.