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Shloka 13

Mohinī-prashna

The Question about Mohinī

अग्निमन्तो न विप्रा हि मन्यंते समुपोषणम् । वेदबाह्य कथं धर्मं भवांश्चरितुमिच्छति ॥ १३ ॥

agnimanto na viprā hi manyaṃte samupoṣaṇam | vedabāhya kathaṃ dharmaṃ bhavāṃścaritumicchati || 13 ||

جن برہمنوں کے پاس یَجْن کی مقدّس آگ ہے وہ مکمل اُپواس کو پسند نہیں کرتے۔ پھر آپ وید سے باہر کے ایسے دھرم پر کیسے چلنا چاہتے ہیں؟

agnimantaḥ(those) maintaining the sacred fire
agnimantaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
TypeAdjective
Rootagnimant (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormNegation particle (निषेध-निपात)
viprāḥBrahmins
viprāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
TypeNoun
Rootvipra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
hiindeed, for
hi:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
FormEmphatic/causal particle (अव्यय-निपात)
manyantethey consider
manyante:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootman (धातु)
FormPresent tense (लट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)
samupoṣaṇamcomplete fasting
samupoṣaṇam:
Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
TypeNoun
Rootsam-upoṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
vedabāhyaO one outside the Veda (un-Vedic)
vedabāhya:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeAdjective
Rootveda (प्रातिपदिक) + bāhya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'outside of the Veda'); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)
kathamhow
katham:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkatham (अव्यय)
FormInterrogative adverb (प्रश्न-अव्यय)
dharmamdharma, righteousness
dharmam:
Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
TypeNoun
Rootdharma (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
bhavānyou (sir)
bhavān:
Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
TypeNoun
Rootbhavat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormHonorific pronoun; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
caritumto practice, to perform
caritum:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन/infinitive of purpose)
TypeVerb
Rootcar (धातु) → caritum (कृदन्त, तुमुन्-प्रत्यय)
FormInfinitive (तुमुन्); expresses purpose
icchatiwishes
icchati:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootiṣ (धातु)
FormPresent tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Sanatkumara (addressing Narada in an instructive dialogue tone)

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

V
Vipra
V
Veda
A
Agni

FAQs

It stresses that religious austerities (like fasting) must remain consistent with Vedic dharma—especially for those bound to daily fire-ritual obligations—so that practice is disciplined rather than merely extreme.

By implying that devotion should be practiced within dharma: bhakti is strengthened when vows and austerities support (not violate) one’s prescribed duties, avoiding “non-Vedic” displays that disrupt legitimate obligations.

It points to Kalpa (ritual procedure) and Dharma-śāstra application: an āhitāgni’s daily agnihotra and related rites require regulated diet and conduct, so total fasting may be inappropriate unless the Vedic rule-set permits it.