Shloka 5

The Account of Mohinī

Mohinī-upākhyāna

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मदंडपराभूता संप्राप्ता नरकं नृप । तत्र धर्माज्ञया सा तु दूतैः संताडिता चिरम् ॥ ५ ॥

Transliteration

brahmadaṃḍaparābhūtā saṃprāptā narakaṃ nṛpa | tatra dharmājñayā sā tu dūtaiḥ saṃtāḍitā ciram || 5 ||

Translation

นางถูกปราบด้วยทัณฑ์แห่งพรหมาแล้วไปถึงนรก ข้าแต่พระราชา ที่นั่นตามบัญชาของธรรมะ เหล่าทูตได้เฆี่ยนตีนางเป็นเวลายาวนาน

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मदण्ड-पराभूता: overpowered by Brahma’s staff
• ब्रह्मदण्ड-पराभूता: Karma (कर्म/Patient; PPP subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + पराभूत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मदण्डेन पराभूता) — “defeated/overpowered by Brahma’s staff (punishment)”

• संप्राप्ता: having reached
• संप्राप्ता: Karta (कर्ता/Agent as participial subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — “having reached/arrived”

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (कर्म/Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — goal “hell”

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — “O king”

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb) — “there”

• धर्माज्ञया: by Dharma’s order
• धर्माज्ञया: Karana (करण/Instrument; means/authority)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य आज्ञा) — “by the command of Dharma”

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — “she”

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (particle)

• दूतैः: by messengers
• दूतैः: Kartr (कर्ता/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — agent in passive “by messengers”

• संताडिता: was beaten
• संताडिता: Karma (कर्म/Patient; PPP subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + ताड् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — “was beaten”

• चिरम्: for long
• चिरम्: Kala-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb) — “for a long time”

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Dharma
• Dutas (messengers of Yama/Dharma)
• Nṛpa (King)

FAQs

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

It emphasizes karmic retribution: when adharma ripens, one is overpowered by divine ordinance (Brahma-daṇḍa) and undergoes corrective suffering under Dharma’s governance.

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

Indirectly, it contrasts the painful fate born of wrongdoing with the protective refuge of dharma and devotion; Bhakti to Vishnu is traditionally presented in the Purana as a purifying path that prevents such downfall.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse reflects Dharmashastric reasoning (ethical-ritual law): actions yield results administered by Dharma; it supports practical conduct—restraint, truthful living, and atonement (prāyaścitta) to avoid pāpa-phala.