Shloka 38

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

Sanskrit

तृष्णाक्षयञ्च रक्तेन तथा शीघ्नं विधीयताम् ।

ततो वयं प्रव्यथिताः प्रकम्पोद्भूतसाध्वसाः ।

कष्टं कष्टमिति प्रोच्य नैतत् कुर्मेति चाब्रुवन् ॥

Transliteration

tṛṣṇākṣayañ ca raktena tathā śīghnaṃ vidhīyatām /

tato vayaṃ pravyathitāḥ prakampodbhūtasādhvasāḥ /

kaṣṭaṃ kaṣṭam iti procya naitat kurm iti cābruvan

Translation

“จงดับความกระหายด้วยโลหิตด้วยโดยเร็ว” ครั้นได้ยินดังนั้น เราทั้งหลายสะท้านหวั่นไหวอย่างยิ่ง—สั่นเทาด้วยความกลัว “อนิจจา อนิจจา!” ร่ำไห้แล้วกล่าวว่า “พวกเราจะไม่ทำสิ่งนี้”

Word by Word

• तृष्णाक्षयम्: cessation of thirst
• तृष्णाक्षयम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृष्णा-क्षय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तृष्णायाः क्षयः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• रक्तेन: with blood
• रक्तेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तथा: thus, also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (thus/also)

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative)

• विधीयताम्: let it be done
• विधीयताम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (let it be done/arranged)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तर/हेतौ (then/thereupon)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• प्रव्यथिताः: distressed
• प्रव्यथिताः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-व्यथ् (धातु) → प्रव्यथित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; भूतकृत् (distressed/afflicted)

• प्रकम्पोद्भूतसाध्वसाः: whose fear arose from trembling
• प्रकम्पोद्भूतसाध्वसाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकम्प-उद्भूत-साध्वस (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रकम्पेन उद्भूतं साध्वसं येषाम्)

• कष्टम्: hardship! alas!
• कष्टम्: Karma (कर्म/Object of utterance)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; उद्गारवत् (exclamatory use)

• कष्टम्: alas, grievous!
• कष्टम्: Karma (कर्म/Object of utterance)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरणचिह्न (quotative)

• प्रोच्य: having said
• प्रोच्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) → प्रोच्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): 'having said'

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुर्म: we do
• कुर्म: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणचिह्न (quotative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• अब्रुवन्: they said
• अब्रुवन्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speakers

• Narrative voice within the frame-story (context suggests frightened interlocutors reacting to a horrific proposal; exact named speaker not specified in the input verse alone)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Ethical revulsion toward violence
• Fear and trembling as response to adharmic counsel
• Ominous speech and refusal of wrongdoing

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse dramatizes a moral boundary: when a proposal crosses into clear adharmic territory (here, the shocking suggestion of quenching thirst with blood), the proper response is refusal. The bodily signs—trembling and panic—function as an inner ethical alarm (antar-bhāva) indicating conscience and dharmic recoil.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This verse is not primarily sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita material. It belongs to narrative-ethical instruction within the Purana’s frame-story (ākhyāna used for dharma-bodha), i.e., ancillary didactic content rather than one of the five lakṣaṇas.

What is the esoteric significance?

Symbolically, ‘thirst’ (tṛṣṇā) can indicate craving. The suggestion to end it ‘with blood’ depicts a tamasic shortcut—feeding desire through harm. The refusal signifies the yogic/dharmic principle that craving is not extinguished by violent indulgence, but by restraint, discernment, and right means.