Shloka 76

Adhyaya 15 — Karmic Retribution: Rebirths After Naraka and the King’s Compassion in Hell

Sanskrit

तस्माद्यत् सुकृतं किञ्चिन्ममास्ति त्रिदशाधिप ।

तेन मुच्यन्तु नरकात् पापिनो यातनां गताः ॥

Transliteration

tasmād yat sukṛtaṃ kiñcin mamāsti tridaśādhipa | tena mucyantu narakāt pāpino yātanāṃ gatāḥ ||

Translation

“Vì vậy, hỡi Chúa tể của ba mươi vị thần (Indra), nhờ chút công đức nhỏ nhoi mà tôi có, xin cho những kẻ tội lỗi đang sa vào khổ hình được giải thoát khỏi địa ngục.”

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• yat: whatever
• yat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular; relative pronoun

• sukṛtam: merit/good deed
• sukṛtam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular

• kiñcit: some (little)
• kiñcit: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiñcit (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: Indefinite pronoun (अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• mama: of me/my
• mama: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Singular; Parasmaipada

• tridaśa-adhipa: O lord of the gods
• tridaśa-adhipa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa: ‘अधिपः त्रिदशानाम्’

• tena: by that (merit)
• tena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• mucyantu: let (them) be freed
• mucyantu: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (लोट्/imperative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Plural; Ātmanepada

• narakāt: from hell
• narakāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• pāpinaḥ: sinners
• pāpinaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• yātanām: torment/punishment
• yātanām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• gatāḥ: having gone (to)/subjected to
• gatāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: Kta-participle (क्त/भूतकर्मणि), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; used adjectivally with pāpinaḥ

Speakers

• King addressing Indra

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Indra

Key Themes

• Compassion
• Dedication of merit
• Intercession
• Royal virtue
• Karmic economy

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse elevates compassion above self-enjoyment: the king prefers the relief of others to his own reward. It also reflects a Purāṇic acceptance of merit being dedicated for others’ welfare, especially through the intention of a righteous person.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Ethical/dharmic instruction within narrative; indirectly supports vaṃśānucarita-type royal exemplarity (how a king ought to act), though not a genealogy passage itself.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘transfer of merit’ symbolizes non-possessiveness of puṇya: merit is perfected when it becomes universalized through compassion, mirroring the sattvic ideal of loka-saṅgraha (holding the world together).