Shloka 4
Somaka–Jantu Ākhyāna: Desire-Driven Sacrifice and Shared Karmic Consequence
Devanagari script
सव्ये पाणौ गृहीत्वा तु याजको5पि सम कर्षति । कुररीणामिवार्तानां समाकृष्य तु त॑ं सुतम्
Transliteration
savye pāṇau gṛhītvā tu yājako 'pi sama-karṣati | kurarīṇām ivārtānāṁ samākṛṣya tu taṁ sutam ||
Translation
祭司以左手抓住他，也将他拖拽；并把那儿子往自己这边拉时，发出如受难的鸻鸟（kurarī）般的哀号——显出执著与恐惧如何驱使连通晓仪轨者也走向粗暴与强迫。
Word by Word
सव्येin the left
सव्ये:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootसव्य
FormMasculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular
पाणौin (his) hand
पाणौ:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootपाणि
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
गृहीत्वाhaving seized/held
गृहीत्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootग्रह्
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
याजकःthe priest/sacrificer
याजकः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootयाजक
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अपिalso/even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
समम्equally, evenly (together)
समम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootसम
FormNeuter, Accusative (adverbial use), Singular
कर्षतिdrags/pulls
कर्षति:
TypeVerb
Rootकृष्
FormPresent, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
कुररीणाम्of ospreys/curlews (kinds of birds)
कुररीणाम्:
TypeNoun
Rootकुररी
FormFeminine, Genitive, Plural
इवlike/as
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
आर्तानाम्of the distressed/afflicted
आर्तानाम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootआर्त
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural
समाकृष्यhaving pulled together/drawn near
समाकृष्य:
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-आ-कृष्
Formल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)
तुand/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
तम्him/that (one)
तम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
सुतम्son
सुतम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसुत
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
Speaker
लोगमश उवाच
Characters & Entities
L
Lomāśa (speaker)Y
yājaka (a priest/officiant)S
suta (a son/child)K
kurarī (bird used as simile)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how intense distress and attachment can lead to forceful, ethically troubling behavior—even by a priest—inviting reflection on self-control (dama) and compassion (dayā) as safeguards of dharma.
Lomāśa describes a scene where a priest grabs a boy by the left hand and drags him; the boy (or the one involved) cries out in anguish, compared to the plaintive cry of a kurarī-bird.