Shloka 14

Adhyaya 3 — The Dharmapakshis’ Past-Life Curse and Indra’s Test of Truthfulness

Sanskrit

कस्य शापादियं प्राप्ता भवद्भिर्विक्रिया परा ।

रूपस्य वचसश्चैव तन्मे वक्तुमिहार्हथ ॥

Transliteration

kasya śāpād iyaṃ prāptā bhavadbhir vikriyā parā /

rūpasya vacasaś caiva tan me vaktum ihārhatha //

Translation

ด้วยคำสาปของผู้ใดเล่า เจ้าจึงได้ความแปรเปลี่ยนอันอัศจรรย์ทั้งในรูปกายและวาจา? โปรดบอกความจริงแก่ข้าพเจ้า ณ ที่นี้เถิด।

Word by Word

• कस्य: of whom
• कस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (singular); पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextual) — interrogative genitive ‘of whom’

• शापात्: from (a) curse
• शापात्: अपादान (अपादान/Ablative source-cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — ablative ‘from/owing to a curse’

• इयम्: this (she/this)
• इयम्: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — demonstrative pronoun

• प्राप्ता: has come/has occurred
• प्राप्ता: क्रियाविशेषण/विधेय (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘having been obtained/come’

• भवद्भिः: by you
• भवद्भिः: करण (करण/Instrumental agent-like)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — instrumental ‘by you (honored ones)’

• विक्रिया: alteration
• विक्रिया: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विक्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘change/alteration’

• परा: great/extraordinary
• परा: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — adjective qualifying ‘विक्रिया’

• रूपस्य: of (your) form
• रूपस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — genitive ‘of form/appearance’

• वचसः: of speech
• वचसः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — genitive ‘of speech/words’

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: अवधारण (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्म (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — demonstrative pronoun

• मे: to me
• मे: सम्प्रदान (सम्प्रदान/Dative recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी एकवचन (genitive/dative singular) — enclitic ‘me/to me’ (here: dative sense)

• वक्तुम्: to tell
• वक्तुम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose infinitive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive) — ‘to speak/tell’

• इह: here
• इह: अधिकरण (Locative sense/setting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• अर्हथ: you should/are able
• अर्हथ: क्रिया (Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन — ‘you are able/ought’

Speakers

• Inquirer (frame narrator) addressing the beings who have undergone transformation (contextually the Dharmapakṣin-birds in the Markandeya Purana frame)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Karma and consequence
• Śāpa (curse) as narrative causality
• Transformation of body and speech
• Inquiry/śravaṇa in Purāṇic dialogue

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse foregrounds the Purāṇic ethic that unusual states (especially transformations affecting one’s body and speech) are not random but arise from prior causes—often framed as karma or a śāpa. It also models dharmic inquiry: the seeker asks respectfully, aiming to understand causality rather than merely judge appearances.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse primarily belongs to the narrative frame that supports Purāṇic instruction rather than directly to sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita. Indirectly, it serves vaṃśānucarita-style storytelling mechanics (personal histories and causes) that lead into didactic material.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Form and speech’ symbolize outer identity and inner expression. A ‘curse’ can be read esoterically as the binding force of past actions (saṃskāra/karma) that constrains both embodiment (rūpa) and articulation (vāk). The request to disclose the cause implies that liberation begins with right knowledge of the binding condition.