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Shloka 143

Aśoka-śāstra: Nārada’s Instruction on the Cessation of Śoka

Grief

देवतायतनस्थस्तु सप्तरात्रेण मृत्युभाक्‌ जो देवमन्दिरमें बैठकर वहाँकी सुगन्धित वस्तुमें सड़े मुर्देकी-सी दुर्गन्धका अनुभव करता है, वह सात दिनमें ही मृत्युको प्राप्त हो जाता है

devatāyatanasthas tu sapta-rātreṇa mṛtyu-bhāk

Yājñavalkya tuyên bố: “Kẻ ngồi trong đền thờ thần linh mà lại cảm thấy, thay cho hương thơm thiêng, mùi hôi thối như xác chết đang phân rã, thì sẽ gặp cái chết trong vòng bảy đêm. Lời dạy nhấn mạnh rằng sự bất kính, ô uế nội tâm hay hành vi phạm thánh nơi chốn linh thiêng sẽ chuốc lấy hậu quả mau chóng và nghiêm khắc, qua đó nêu rõ đòi hỏi về sự thanh tịnh và tâm thế đúng đắn trong việc thờ phụng.”

देवतायतनस्थःone situated in a देवतायतन (temple/shrine)
देवतायतनस्थः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootदेवतायतन-स्थ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
सप्तरात्रेणwithin seven nights (in seven days)
सप्तरात्रेण:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसप्त-रात्र
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
मृत्युभाक्partaker of death; one who meets death
मृत्युभाक्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमृत्यु-भाज्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Y
Yājñavalkya
D
devatāyatana (deity’s shrine/temple)

Educational Q&A

Sacred spaces demand inner and outer purity; perceiving foulness where sanctity should be felt signals grave impurity or sacrilege, bringing swift karmic consequence.

In a didactic passage, Yājñavalkya states a rule-like warning: a person who sits in a deity’s shrine yet encounters the stench of a corpse (instead of sacred fragrance) is said to die within seven nights, stressing the seriousness of improper conduct in worship.