Shloka 122

The Account of Kāṣṭhīlā (Kāṣṭhīlā-ākhyāna) within the Mohinī Narrative

Devanagari script

या गतिर्ब्रह्महत्यायां कुत्सिता प्राप्यते नरैः । तां गतिं हि प्रपद्येऽहं यद्येतदनृतं भवेत् ॥ १२२ ॥

Transliteration

yā gatirbrahmahatyāyāṃ kutsitā prāpyate naraiḥ | tāṃ gatiṃ hi prapadye'haṃ yadyetadanṛtaṃ bhavet || 122 ||

Translation

หากถ้อยคำของข้าพเจ้าเป็นเท็จ ขอให้ข้าพเจ้าตกสู่คติอันน่ารังเกียจที่มนุษย์ได้รับเป็นผลแห่งบาปพราหมณ์ฆาต (พรหมหัตยา) นั้นเถิด

Word by Word

• yā: which
• yā: Karta (कर्ता) (of relative clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative pronoun (यद्), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• gatiḥ: fate/going/state
• gatiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• brahmahatyāyām: in (the sin of) brahmin-murder
• brahmahatyāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma-hatyā (प्रातिपदिक: brahman + hatyā)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: 'killing of a Brahmin'

• kutsitā: despicable
• kutsitā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kutsita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• prāpyate: is attained
• prāpyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-āp (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); passive sense 'is obtained'

• naraiḥ: by men
• naraiḥ: Kartr̥ (कर्ता) in passive via instrumental
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• tām: that
• tām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally (सर्वनाम-विशेषण), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• gatim: fate/state
• gatim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis/indeed

• prapadye: I resort to/attain
• prapadye: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-pad (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional particle (शर्तसूचक-अव्यय)

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (कर्ता) (of bhavet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Demonstrative pronoun (सर्वनाम), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) / Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• anṛtam: falsehood/untruth
• anṛtam: Pratijñā/predicate nominal (प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) / Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); predicate nominal

• bhavet: should be/were to be
• bhavet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Narada (asserting truthfulness as an oath-like declaration within the Uttara-Bhaga narrative)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

The verse functions as a solemn truth-pledge: the speaker stakes his own spiritual fate on the veracity of his statement, highlighting satya (truthfulness) as a core pillar of dharma and as a safeguard against moral and karmic downfall.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

While not directly describing bhakti practices, it reinforces the ethical foundation required for devotional life—truthful speech and integrity—without which pilgrimage, vows, and worship lose their purifying power.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It indirectly reflects Vyakarana/semantic precision and Dharmashastra-style reasoning: speech (vāk) must align with truth, and falsehood is treated as a spiritually consequential act, framed through the strongest karmic benchmark (brahmahatyā).