Shloka 9

Adhyaya 9 — Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra’s Mutual Curse: The Āḍi–Baka Battle and Brahmā’s Pacification

Sanskrit

तस्माद् दुरात्मा ब्रह्मद्विट् प्राज्ञानामवरोपितः ।

मच्छापोपहतो मूढः स बकत्वमवाप्स्यति ॥

Transliteration

tasmād durātmā brahmadviṭ prājñānām avaropitaḥ / macchāpopahato mūḍhaḥ sa bakatvam avāpsyati

Translation

ดังนั้น ผู้มีจิตชั่วผู้เกลียดพราหมณ์—ผู้ทำให้บัณฑิตตกต่ำ—ถูกคำสาปของเราแล้ว ผู้นั้นผู้หลงมัวจะไปสู่ภาวะเป็น “บกะ” (นกกระสา/นกยาง)

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Reason (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), तस्मात् = तद्-शब्दस्य पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपम्; adverbial ablative: “therefore/from that”

• दुरात्मा: evil-souled one
• दुरात्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (दुर् + आत्मा)

• ब्रह्मद्विट्: hater of Brahman/Brahmins
• ब्रह्मद्विट्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + द्विष् (धातु) → ब्रह्मद्विष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (ब्रह्मणः द्विट् = brahma-hater)

• प्राज्ञानाम्: of the wise
• प्राज्ञानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; genitive plural

• अवरोपितः: cast down/removed
• अवरोपितः: Karta (कर्ता) (as predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-रुह् (धातु) + णिच् → अवरोपय्; क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “having been caused to descend/removed/overthrown”

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; enclitic form in compound-splitting: “my”

• शाप: curse
• शाप: Instrument/Cause (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (compound member)

• उपहतः: afflicted/struck
• उपहतः: Karta (कर्ता) (as predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-हन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “struck/afflicted”

• मूढः: deluded
• मूढः: Karta (कर्ता) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक; from मुह् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; adjective qualifying subject

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; pronoun

• बकत्वम्: the state of being a crane
• बकत्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बकत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; abstract noun in -त्व

• अवाप्स्यति: will attain
• अवाप्स्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future/लृट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speakers

• Vasiṣṭha (implied by ‘my curse’)
• within the narrative

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Śāpa (curse)
• Respect for brahmins and the wise
• Karmic retribution
• Tiryak-yoni (non-human birth)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Hostility to ‘brahma’ (sacred wisdom and its custodians) and the deliberate humiliation of the wise is treated as a grave ethical breach. The curse dramatizes the principle that misuse of power against dharmic persons rebounds as degradation of status and consciousness.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ānucarita: a didactic episode illustrating dharma/adharma through narrative consequence (curse leading to altered birth).

What is the esoteric significance?

Becoming ‘baka’ can symbolize a consciousness narrowed to survival and predation (a fall from sattvic kingship to instinctive existence). The curse encodes the idea that inner disposition (durātmā, mūḍha) crystallizes into outer form (yoni).