Shloka 139
Cosmic Time, Cycles of Creation and Dissolution, and the Varāha Uplift of Earth
अधर्मबीजभूतं तत्तमोलोभसमुद्गतम् । प्रजासु तासु राजेंद्र रागादिक्रमसाधनम्
adharmabījabhūtaṃ tattamolobhasamudgatam | prajāsu tāsu rājeṃdra rāgādikramasādhanam
تلك الدافعة التي تصير بذرة للأدهرما تنشأ من الظلمة والطمع؛ وبين الرعية، أيها الملك، تغدو الوسيلة التي بها يتتابع التعلّق وما يعقبه من الأهواء على الترتيب.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses of Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa 1.3).
Concept: Adharma begins as a subtle seed in tamas and greed; once planted, it unfolds sequentially as attachment and further passions.
Application: Notice the earliest ‘seed’ moments—greedy justification, dullness, or envy—before they harden into attachment; counter with simple disciplines: truthful speech, regulated consumption, and daily remembrance of Nārāyaṇa.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A symbolic court scene: a wise teacher addresses a crowned king while, behind them, a shadowy lotus-seed sprouts into thorny vines labeled ‘lobha’ and ‘rāga’, creeping toward a crowd of subjects. Above, a faint Viṣṇu-emblem (śaṅkha-cakra) glows as the antidote, casting a thin line of light that can cut the vines if grasped.","primary_figures":["a rishi-like teacher","a king (rājendra)","allegorical figures of Tamas and Lobha","crowd of prajā (subjects)"],"setting":"royal sabhā transitioning into an allegorical inner landscape with lotus-seed and creeping vines","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit with encroaching shadow","color_palette":["smoky indigo","ash gray","deep maroon","antique gold","lotus pink"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a seated rishi instructing a jeweled king in a palace hall; behind them an allegorical dark lotus-seed sprouting thorny creepers marked ‘lobha’ and ‘rāga’; heavy gold leaf halos, rich crimson and emerald textiles, gem-studded crowns, śaṅkha-cakra motifs subtly embossed in gold as the protective dharmic light.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate dialogue between sage and king on a terrace; delicate smoky shadows form a creeping vine from a small lotus-seed near the subjects; cool dusk palette, refined faces, lyrical negative space, distant hills suggesting the mind’s landscape.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines; personified Tamas as a dark figure and Lobha as a grasping figure behind the king; the sage points to a small lotus-seed turning into a vine; traditional red-yellow-green pigments, large expressive eyes, temple-wall composition with śaṅkha-cakra symbols.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lotus motif where a dark seed becomes thorny creepers; border of tulasi leaves and lotus buds; in the upper register a small Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa emblem radiates blue-gold light; intricate floral filigree, deep indigo ground, gold highlights, devotional symbolism over narrative realism."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple drum","single bell strikes","hushed court ambience","soft conch in distance"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: adharmabījabhūtaṃ = अधर्म-बीज-भूतम्; tamolobhasamudgatam = तमः-लोभ-समुद्गतम् (तमः + लोभ); rāgādikramasādhanam = राग-आदि-क्रम-साधनम्; rājeṃdra = राजेन्द्र (anusvāra/ṃ for ं).
FAQs
The verse states that adharma takes seed from an impulse arising out of tamas (ignorance/darkness) and lobha (greed).
It presents a progression: from tamas and greed arises a seed of adharma, which then becomes the cause for rāga (attachment) and other related passions to unfold in sequence.
A king should restrain societal and personal decline by checking ignorance and greed, since these generate adharma and then cascade into attachment and further vices among the people.