Shloka 114

Adhyaya 8 — Harishchandra’s Trial: Truth, the Sale of Family, and Bondage to a Chandala

Sanskrit

अग्नेश्चटचटाशब्दो वयसामस्थिपङ्क्तिषु ।

बान्धवाक्रन्दशब्दश्च पुक्कसेषु प्रहर्षजः ॥

Transliteration

agneś caṭacaṭā-śabdo vayasām asthi-paṅktiṣu /

bāndhavākranda-śabdaś ca pukkaseṣu praharṣajaḥ

Translation

ہڈیوں کی قطاروں میں، جہاں گِدھ جمع تھے، آگ کے چٹخنے جیسی آواز اٹھی؛ اور پُکّسہ وغیرہ اچھوتوں میں رشتہ داروں کے نوحے جیسی صدا بلند ہوئی، مگر وہ ہولناک مسرت سے پیدا تھی۔

Word by Word

• अग्नेः: of fire
• अग्नेः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी); एकवचन — Genitive singular

• चटचटाशब्दः: the crackling sound
• चटचटाशब्दः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चटचटा (प्रातिपदिक) + शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा); एकवचन — Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (चटचटायाः शब्दः)

• वयसाम्: of birds
• वयसाम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी); बहुवचन — Genitive plural

• अस्थिपङ्क्तिषु: in rows of bones
• अस्थिपङ्क्तिषु: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक) + पङ्क्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी); बहुवचन — Locative plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अस्थीनां पङ्क्तयः)

• बान्धवाक्रन्दशब्दः: the sound of kinsmen’s wailing
• बान्धवाक्रन्दशब्दः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक) + आक्रन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा); एकवचन — Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बान्धवानाम् आक्रन्दस्य शब्दः)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पुक्कसेषु: among the pukkasas (outcastes)
• पुक्कसेषु: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुक्कस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी); बहुवचन — Locative plural

• प्रहर्षजः: born of joy; exultant
• प्रहर्षजः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रहर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रत्ययान्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा); एकवचन — Nominative singular; पञ्चमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (प्रहर्षात्/प्रहर्षस्य जातः)

Speakers

• Narratorial description (frame narrator not specified in input)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Śmaśāna imagery
• Auspicious/inauspicious omens
• Fear and liminality
• Death-grounds in Purāṇic narrative

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse intensifies vairāgya (dispassion) through śmaśāna-darśana: worldly identity and social order collapse in the face of death; fear and fascination arise together, warning against attachment and heedlessness.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Primarily narrative embellishment rather than a direct pañcalakṣaṇa unit; it supports later dharma/itihāsa-style instruction by setting a stark moral atmosphere (closest to vaṃśānucarita/ākhyāna usage).

What is the esoteric significance?

Śmaśāna symbolizes the threshold where ordinary norms dissolve; the ‘wailing’ that is actually ‘delight-born’ points to inverted consciousness—tamasic beings revel where sattvic minds recoil.