Shloka 62

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

Sanskrit

निपातितानां भू-पृष्ठे उद्वृत्ताक्षि निरीक्षताम् ।

सन्दंशैः पश्य कॄष्यन्ते नरैर्याम्यैर्मुखात्ततः ॥

Transliteration

nipātitānāṃ bhū-pṛṣṭhe udvṛttākṣi nirīkṣatām /

sandaṃśaiḥ paśya kṛṣyante narair yāmyair mukhāt tataḥ

Translation

พวกเขาถูกเหวี่ยงลงสู่พื้นดินและจ้องมองด้วยสายตาเงยขึ้น; แล้วทูตแห่งยมใช้คีมคีบควักดวงตาออกจากใบหน้า

Word by Word

• nipātitānām: of those who have been thrown down
• nipātitānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-pātita (कृदन्त from √pat with नि-, धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कर्मणि) used substantively; Genitive (षष्ठी) Plural (बहुवचन); gender context-dependent (here likely masculine)

• bhū-pṛṣṭhe: on the surface of the earth
• bhū-pṛṣṭhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक) + pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः ‘भूमेः पृष्ठम्’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी) Singular (एकवचन)

• udvṛtta-akṣi: with upturned eyes
• udvṛtta-akṣi: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ud-vṛtta (कृदन्त from √vṛt with उद्-, धातु) + akṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिः ‘उद्वृत्ते अक्षिणी यस्य’ (with upturned eyes); (as qualifier of nipātitānām)

• nirīkṣatām: of those who are looking
• nirīkṣatām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-īkṣ (धातु √īkṣ with निर्-)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Genitive (षष्ठी) Plural (बहुवचन); ‘of those who are looking’

• sandaṃśaiḥ: with tongs/pincers
• sandaṃśaiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sandaṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural (बहुवचन)

• paśya: see/behold
• paśya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु √dṛś)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष) Singular (एकवचन)

• kṛṣyante: are dragged
• kṛṣyante: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛṣ (धातु √kṛṣ)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) Plural (बहुवचन); passive-like sense ‘are dragged’

• naraiḥ: by men
• naraiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural (बहुवचन)

• yāmyaiḥ: of Yama/hellish
• yāmyaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yāmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural (बहुवचन); adjective qualifying naraiḥ (Yama’s/hellish)

• mukhāt: from the mouth
• mukhāt: Apādāna (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी) Singular (एकवचन)

• tataḥ: then/from there
• tataḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) of place/time

Speakers

• Naraka narration; Yamadūtas explicitly present

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Yama

Key Themes

• Naraka
• Karma-phala
• Ritual ethics
• Moral causality

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purāṇic hell-descriptions dramatize causality: actions that disregard sacred boundaries result in loss of the very faculty (discernment/sight) that should have restrained the act.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary dharma material (phala-śruti by negative example). It is not one of the five marks but is a common Purāṇic pedagogical device.

What is the esoteric significance?

Extraction of eyes symbolizes forced confrontation with truth after willful blindness in life; the ‘pincers’ represent inescapable karmic precision.