Shloka 57

Adhyaya 8 — Vasu's Redemption

Sanskrit

ततः स विप्रो नृपतेर्वल्कलान्ते दृढं धनम् ।

बद्ध्वा केशेष्वथादाय नृपपत्नीमकर्षयत् ॥

Transliteration

tataḥ sa vipro nṛpater valkalānte dṛḍhaṃ dhanam /

baddhvā keśeṣv athādāya nṛpa-patnīm akarṣayat

Translation

پھر اس برہمن نے بادشاہ کا مال چھال کے کپڑے کے پلو میں مضبوطی سے باندھ لیا، اور بادشاہ کی بیوی کو بالوں سے پکڑ کر گھسیٹتا ہوا لے گیا۔

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/अनन्तरवाचक अव्यय (adverb: thereafter)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• विप्रः: the Brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• नृपतेः: of the king
• नृपतेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive, 6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वल्कल-अन्ते: at the edge of the bark-garment
• वल्कल-अन्ते: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्कल + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘of bark-cloth’ + ‘end/edge’

• दृढम्: firmly (tied) / tight
• दृढम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• धनम्: money/wealth
• धनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• बद्ध्वा: having tied
• बद्ध्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)

• केशेषु: in the hair
• केशेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Kriyā-anuvṛtti (क्रियानुवृत्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/आरम्भसूचक अव्यय (then/now)

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष (Gerund), ‘having taken’

• नृपपत्नीम्: the king’s wife
• नृपपत्नीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘king’s wife’

• अकर्षयत्: dragged
• अकर्षयत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect, past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद; causative sense (णिच्) implied by stem: कर्षय-

Speakers

• Narratorial voice within the Markandeya Purana’s ongoing story (not a Devi Mahatmyam battle-verse)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Adharma and its consequences
• Violation of royal household
• Greed and violence
• Social-ethical transgression

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse depicts extreme adharma: greed (seizing wealth) coupled with humiliation and violence toward a protected member of the royal household (the queen). Puranic narration often presents such acts to foreshadow inevitable retribution and to underline that status (even brāhmaṇa identity) does not sanctify immoral conduct; conduct (ācāra) is the measure of dharma.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This is best classified under Vaṃśānucarita / narrative of persons and events (often grouped with the Purāṇic historical-ethical storytelling stream rather than sarga/pratisarga/manvantara). It does not directly present cosmogenesis (sarga), dissolution/recreation (pratisarga), manvantara chronology, or dynastic lists as such, but functions as moral-historical narration within the text’s broader purāṇic tapestry.

What is the esoteric significance?

Symbolically, ‘wealth bound in bark-cloth’ can suggest the hypocrisy of outward ascetic markers (valkala) masking inner grasping, while ‘dragging by the hair’ signifies the violent domination of śrī (prosperity/royal dignity) by adharma. Such imagery prepares the reader for the Purāṇic principle that when dharma is violated, protective cosmic power (often later articulated through Devī narratives) becomes necessary to restore order.