Shloka 65
The Episode of Cyavana
Cyavana’s Hermitage and the Power of Tapas
राजा दत्त्वात्मजां तस्मै मुनये तपसांनिधे । प्राप स्वां नगरीं भूयो दुःखितोऽयं दयायुतः
rājā dattvātmajāṃ tasmai munaye tapasāṃnidhe | prāpa svāṃ nagarīṃ bhūyo duḥkhito'yaṃ dayāyutaḥ
ولما قدّم الملك ابنته لذلك الناسك—بحرِ التقشّف—عاد إلى مدينته من جديد، حزينًا غير أنّه مفعمٌ بالرحمة.
Unspecified narrator (within the Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue framework of the Padma Purāṇa Pātālakhaṇḍa)
Concept: Even after fulfilling dharma, the heart may remain tender with sorrow; compassion (dayā) is praised as a royal virtue alongside duty.
Application: Do the right thing without expecting emotional ease; let compassion remain intact even when circumstances are harsh.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The king departs the hermitage boundary and rides back toward his city, his posture heavy despite the completion of duty. Behind him, the forest path narrows into mist, while ahead the city gates glimmer—two worlds bridged by a compassionate yet grieving heart.","primary_figures":["the king","royal attendants","the sage (distant, at āśrama edge)"],"setting":"forest road leading to fortified city gates, transitional landscape with banyan and sal trees, dust of travel","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["earth brown","leaf green","muted saffron","steel gray","dull gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a regal procession leaving an āśrama—king on horse or chariot with ornate trappings, gold leaf accents on city gate and royal ornaments, rich reds/greens, stylized trees, a distant sage under a thatched hut, mood of solemn compassion.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: winding forest path with delicate foliage, king in subdued colors looking back with sorrow, attendants small in scale, distant city walls under a pale sky, refined emotional nuance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized forest and city gate, king with expressive eyes and softened mouth, bold outlines, warm earthy pigments, narrative clarity with symbolic gestures of dayā.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: transitional journey framed by floral borders, peacocks and deer at the margins, deep blue-to-ochre gradient sky, ornamental patterns on the king’s garments, devotional undertone suggesting dharma’s unseen witness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["hoofbeats","rustling leaves","distant city drums","soft conch far away"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दत्त्वात्मजां = दत्त्वा + आत्मजाम्; तपसांनिधे = तपसाम् + निधे; दुःखितोऽयं = दुःखितः + अयम्.
FAQs
The king gives his daughter to a highly ascetic sage and then returns to his city, emotionally burdened yet acting with compassion.
It portrays the sage as a “treasure” or “repository” of austerity—someone spiritually powerful due to disciplined tapas (ascetic practice).
It highlights a dharmic ideal: fulfilling a difficult duty may cause personal sorrow, yet one should act with compassion and moral resolve rather than selfishness.