Shloka 62

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

Sanskrit

निपातितानां भू-पृष्ठे उद्वृत्ताक्षि निरीक्षताम् ।

सन्दंशैः पश्य कॄष्यन्ते नरैर्याम्यैर्मुखात्ततः ॥

Transliteration

nipātitānāṃ bhū-pṛṣṭhe udvṛttākṣi nirīkṣatām /

sandaṃśaiḥ paśya kṛṣyante narair yāmyair mukhāt tataḥ

Translation

انہیں زمین پر گرا دیا جاتا ہے اور وہ اوپر کو آنکھیں اٹھا کر دیکھتے رہتے ہیں؛ پھر یم کے قاصد چمٹوں سے ان کے چہرے سے آنکھیں کھینچ کر نکال لیتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• nipātitānām: of those who have been thrown down
• nipātitānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-pātita (कृदन्त from √pat with नि-, धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कर्मणि) used substantively; Genitive (षष्ठी) Plural (बहुवचन); gender context-dependent (here likely masculine)

• bhū-pṛṣṭhe: on the surface of the earth
• bhū-pṛṣṭhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक) + pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः ‘भूमेः पृष्ठम्’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी) Singular (एकवचन)

• udvṛtta-akṣi: with upturned eyes
• udvṛtta-akṣi: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ud-vṛtta (कृदन्त from √vṛt with उद्-, धातु) + akṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिः ‘उद्वृत्ते अक्षिणी यस्य’ (with upturned eyes); (as qualifier of nipātitānām)

• nirīkṣatām: of those who are looking
• nirīkṣatām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-īkṣ (धातु √īkṣ with निर्-)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Genitive (षष्ठी) Plural (बहुवचन); ‘of those who are looking’

• sandaṃśaiḥ: with tongs/pincers
• sandaṃśaiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sandaṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural (बहुवचन)

• paśya: see/behold
• paśya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु √dṛś)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष) Singular (एकवचन)

• kṛṣyante: are dragged
• kṛṣyante: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛṣ (धातु √kṛṣ)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) Plural (बहुवचन); passive-like sense ‘are dragged’

• naraiḥ: by men
• naraiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural (बहुवचन)

• yāmyaiḥ: of Yama/hellish
• yāmyaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yāmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural (बहुवचन); adjective qualifying naraiḥ (Yama’s/hellish)

• mukhāt: from the mouth
• mukhāt: Apādāna (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी) Singular (एकवचन)

• tataḥ: then/from there
• tataḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) of place/time

Speakers

• Naraka narration; Yamadūtas explicitly present

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Yama

Key Themes

• Naraka
• Karma-phala
• Ritual ethics
• Moral causality

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purāṇic hell-descriptions dramatize causality: actions that disregard sacred boundaries result in loss of the very faculty (discernment/sight) that should have restrained the act.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary dharma material (phala-śruti by negative example). It is not one of the five marks but is a common Purāṇic pedagogical device.

What is the esoteric significance?

Extraction of eyes symbolizes forced confrontation with truth after willful blindness in life; the ‘pincers’ represent inescapable karmic precision.