Shloka 2

Somaka–Jantu Ākhyāna: Desire-Driven Sacrifice and Shared Karmic Consequence

Devanagari script

लोगमश उवाच तत: स याजयामास सोमकं तेन जन्तुना | मातरस्तु बलात्‌ पुत्रमपाकर्षु: कृपान्विता:

Transliteration

Lomaśa uvāca tataḥ sa yājayāmāsa Somakaṃ tena jantunā | mātaraḥ tu balāt putram apākarṣuḥ kṛpānvitāḥ ||

Translation

Lomaśa nói: Bấy giờ ông khiến Somaka cử hành nghi lễ với sinh linh ấy. Nhưng các bà mẹ, động lòng thương xót, đã dùng sức kéo đứa con trai ra khỏi đó.

Word by Word

लोमशःLomasha (the sage)

उवाचsaid

ततःthen; thereafter

सःhe

याजयामासcaused (him) to perform a sacrifice; made (him) officiate

सोमकम्Somaka (proper name)

तेनby him; with him

जन्तुनाby the creature/person

मातरःthe mothers

तुbut; however

बलात्by force; forcibly

पुत्रम्the son

अपाकर्षुःdrew away; pulled away

कृपान्विताःendowed with compassion; compassionate

Speaker

लोगमश उवाच

Characters & Entities

Lomaśa

Somaka

the mothers

the son

jantu (a living being used in the rite)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Compassion (kṛpā) functions as a corrective within dharma: even when an act is framed as ritual or duty, humane protection of a vulnerable person can take precedence over a harsh or harmful procedure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Lomaśa narrates that someone arranged for Somaka to carry out a rite using a living being; at that moment, the mothers—overcome with pity—intervened and forcibly pulled the son away, preventing the act from proceeding as intended.