Shloka 92
The Supremacy of Food-Charity and the Rāma–Śambūka Episode
Child Revived through Rājadharma
कर्मणा यदि मे प्रीता द्विजपुत्रः स जीवतु । वरमेतद्धि भवतां कांक्षितं परमं हि मे
karmaṇā yadi me prītā dvijaputraḥ sa jīvatu | varametaddhi bhavatāṃ kāṃkṣitaṃ paramaṃ hi me
إن كنتم قد رضيتم عني لأجل عملي، فليحيَ ابنُ البراهمن. فهذا حقًّا هو العطاء الذي ترغبون فيه، وهو أسمى طلبي.
Unspecified (context-dependent; a petitioner requesting a boon)
Concept: The highest boon is the restoration of life and the repair of harm caused; true merit expresses itself as compassion and responsibility rather than self-serving reward.
Application: When praised or rewarded, convert the benefit into relief for someone harmed or vulnerable; make restitution the ‘highest request.’
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The petitioner, still with folded hands, lifts his gaze with trembling resolve and asks not for wealth or power but for the brāhmaṇa’s son to live. Indra’s court grows solemn; the air seems to pause as the boon is transformed into an act of restitution and compassion.","primary_figures":["Supplicant/Petitioner","Indra","A faint vision of the brāhmaṇa’s child (symbolic)"],"setting":"Celestial hall with a side vignette—an ethereal, translucent image of the child lying still, awaiting the decree of life.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["deep indigo","warm gold","smoky violet","sandalwood beige","vermilion"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Indra enthroned with gold leaf halo; petitioner in the foreground with intense, compassionate expression; a small inset panel showing the child as a pale, luminous figure; rich reds/greens, embossed gold detailing, ornate arch and lotus motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate emotional focus—petitioner and Indra rendered with delicate faces; a soft, misty inset of the child; cool blues and violets with gentle gold highlights, fine textile patterns, minimalistic yet lyrical court setting.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, symbolic inset of the child in pale tones; Indra and petitioner in strong primary pigments; decorative borders with lotus and vajra motifs, symmetrical temple-wall composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional symmetry with floral borders; central petition scene, and a lotus-framed medallion depicting the child; deep blue ground, gold and pink lotuses, intricate patterning and garlands."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["low tanpura drone","soft bells","hushed silence between phrases","distant conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वरमेतत् = वरम् एतत्; एतद्धि = एतत् हि (त् + ह → द्ध); (प्रीताः—देवाः understood from previous verse).
FAQs
The speaker asks that a brahmin’s son (dvijaputra) be granted life—i.e., spared from death or restored to life—as the desired boon.
The speaker frames the request conditionally: if the other party is pleased due to the speaker’s actions, that pleasure should manifest as a compassionate boon—preserving life.
The verse highlights compassion and the prioritization of saving life as a supreme aim, presenting mercy as the most meaningful outcome of earned favor.