Shloka 118
The Marks of Merit and the Destinies of Beings
Divine vs Demonic Traits
कृते जाताः सुरा भूमौ न दैत्याश्चान्यजातयः । त्रेतायामेकपादं च द्विपदं द्वापरे युगे
kṛte jātāḥ surā bhūmau na daityāścānyajātayaḥ | tretāyāmekapādaṃ ca dvipadaṃ dvāpare yuge
في عصر كṛتا (ساتيا) لم يُولد على الأرض إلا الدِّيفات (devas)، فلم تكن هناك دايتْيَات (Daityas) ولا سائر الأجناس. وفي عصر تريتَا كان «ذو قدم واحدة»، وفي يوجا دڤاپارا صار «ذو قدمين».
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses; likely within the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa narrative dialogue).
Concept: Yuga-dharma shifts: in Kṛta, a deva-like purity predominates; subsequent yugas show progressive alteration/decline in the ‘feet’ (pāda) of dharma.
Application: Adopt practices suitable to one’s capacity in Kali—steady bhakti, simple vrata, truthfulness—rather than romanticizing unattainable austerities of earlier ages.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A grand wheel of time (kāla-cakra) turns above the earth, divided into yuga segments: Kṛta shines with deva-like figures walking among lotuses; Tretā shows a slight shadow and a single ‘foot’ motif; Dvāpara shows two feet and more mixed beings. The scene feels like a cosmic infographic rendered as sacred art, with Viṣṇu’s presence implied as the axis of the wheel.","primary_figures":["symbolic Viṣṇu as the axis of time (subtle, not dominating)","deva-like beings in Kṛta segment","mixed beings in later yuga segments"],"setting":"Cosmic sky over Bhū-loka with a rotating mandala-wheel; clouds shaped like scriptural diagrams.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["celestial gold","pearl white","sky blue","soft saffron","deep teal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: kāla-cakra mandala with four yuga panels, Kṛta panel radiant with deva figures and lotuses; gold leaf heavily used for the wheel rim and halos; rich reds/greens in borders; South Indian ornamental symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate circular yuga-wheel floating above a landscape; fine brushwork showing tiny narrative vignettes in each segment; cool blues and gentle saffrons; lyrical clouds and distant mountains.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold-outlined circular mandala of yugas with stylized figures; strong yellow/red/green pigments; Viṣṇu as central axis with characteristic mural eyes; temple-wall composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate circular wheel filled with lotus motifs; yuga segments indicated by changing floral density and color; deep indigo background with gold highlights; intricate border patterns."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft cymbals","wind through trees","distant conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दैत्याश्चान्यजातयः = दैत्याः + च + अन्यजातयः; त्रेतायामेकपादं = त्रेतायाम् + एकपादम्; (अन्यजातयः is a तत्पुरुष compound: अन्य + जाति).
FAQs
It presents a yuga-wise decline or modification in the world-order, implying that conditions (often framed as dharma’s ‘legs’) change across Kṛta, Tretā, and Dvāpara.
They commonly allude to dharma standing on fewer ‘legs’ (quarters) as time progresses—symbolizing reduced moral/spiritual stability from one yuga to the next.
Purāṇic statements can be theological or symbolic; here it emphasizes an idealized Kṛta-yuga purity (absence of daitya opposition), rather than serving as a strict biological census.