Shloka 120

Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्

Devanagari script

जगदग्निरुवाच पुरीषमुत्सृजत्वप्सु हन्तु गां चैव द्रह्मतु । अनृतौ मैथुन यातु बिसस्तैन्यं करोति यः:

Transliteration

jagadaagnir uvāca: purīṣam utsṛjatv apsu hantu gāṃ caiva drohatu | anṛtau maithunaṃ yātu bisastainyaṃ karoti yaḥ ||

Translation

Jagadagni nói: “Kẻ nào trộm cuống sen (bisā) sẽ mắc tội như phóng uế xuống nước, như giết bò, như phản bội (hay làm hại) bò, và như giao hợp với phụ nữ ngoài kỳ thích hợp của nàng. Như vậy, sức nặng đạo lý của tội trộm ấy được tuyên rõ.”

Word by Word

• जगदग्निः: Jamadagni (name of the sage)
• जगदग्निः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगदग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular

• पुरीषम्: feces/excrement
• पुरीषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरीष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उत्सृजत्: one who discharges/voids
• उत्सृजत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्सृज् (धातु)
• Form: Shatru (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अप्सु: in the waters
• अप्सु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• हन्तु: should kill / let him kill
• हन्तु: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: Imperative, Third, Singular

• गाम्: a cow
• गाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• एव: indeed/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)

• द्रुह्यतु: should betray / do harm (be treacherous)
• द्रुह्यतु: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रुह् (धातु)
• Form: Imperative, Third, Singular

• अनृतौ: at a non-proper season (outside the proper time)
• अनृतौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• मैथुनम्: sexual intercourse
• मैथुनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैथुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यातु: should go/engage (in)
• यातु: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: Imperative, Third, Singular

• बिस-स्तैन्यम्: theft of lotus-stalks
• बिस-स्तैन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिस (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• करोति: does/commits
• करोति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भरद्वाज उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Jagadagni
• cow (gā)
• water (apsu)
• lotus-stalks/lotus-fibres (bisā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that even seemingly minor theft (here, lotus-stalks) is ethically serious and is equated with major transgressions—polluting water, harming or betraying a cow, and improper sexual conduct—thereby warning that adharma in small acts carries heavy moral consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a didactic context on dharma and wrongdoing, the speaker (attributed here to Jagadagni) pronounces a set of sins that attach to a person who steals lotus-stalks, using strong comparisons to impress the gravity of the act.