Shloka 15

Adhyaya 14 — The Messenger of Yama Explains Karmic Retribution and the Causes of Naraka Torments

Sanskrit

यमकिङ्कर उवाच यन्मां पृच्छसि भूपाल ! पापकर्मफलोदयम् ।

तत्तेऽहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि संक्षेपेण यथातथम् ॥

Transliteration

yamakiṅkara uvāca yan māṃ pṛcchasi bhūpāla pāpa-karma-phala-udayam / tat te ’haṃ sampravakṣyāmi saṃkṣepeṇa yathā-tatham //

Translation

یَم کے قاصد نے کہا—اے راجَن، آپ نے مجھ سے جو پوچھا ہے، یعنی گناہ آلود اعمال کے پھلوں کا ظہور—میں اسے آپ کو اختصار کے ساتھ، جیسا ہے ویسا بیان کروں گا۔

Word by Word

• यम-किङ्करः: Yama’s attendant
• यम-किङ्करः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + kiṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यमस्य किङ्करः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्ष/परिपूर्णभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect, 3rd person singular; परस्मैपद

• यत्: that/since
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्धबोधक), यत्-शब्दः here as conjunction ‘since/that’ introducing clause

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular (pronoun)

• पृच्छसि: you ask
• पृच्छसि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present indicative, 2nd person singular; परस्मैपद

• भूपाल: O king
• भूपाल: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• पाप-कर्म-फल-उदयम्: the arising of the fruit of sinful deeds
• पाप-कर्म-फल-उदयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + udaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (पापकर्मणः फलस्य उदयः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी, एकवचन; Dative singular (pronoun)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (pronoun)

• सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि: I will explain/tell
• सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; Simple future, 1st person singular; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: सम्+प्र

• संक्षेपेण: briefly
• संक्षेपेण: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saṃkṣepa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण; तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययप्रयोगः = ‘briefly’

• यथा-तथम्: as it is, in due manner
• यथा-तथम्: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-द्वन्द्व (pair of indeclinables) used adverbially

Speakers

• Yama-kiṅkara to the King

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Yama

Key Themes

• Karma-vipāka
• Moral instruction
• Afterlife jurisprudence

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Authority is grounded in truthfulness: the messenger promises ‘yathātatham’—a key Purāṇic virtue—linking cosmic justice with accurate teaching.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

A dharma-upadeśa segment within narrative; not directly sarga/pratisarga etc., but part of the Purāṇa’s ethical instruction function.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘messenger’ symbolizes the operation of ṛta/dharma as an impersonal law: consequences are delivered not by caprice but by a structured order.