Shloka 27
Vena’s Fall into Adharma and the Prelude to Pṛthu’s Birth
अनेन मुग्धा राजेंद्र महामोहेन पातिताः । मानवाः पापसंघातास्तेषां नाशाय नान्यथा
anena mugdhā rājeṃdra mahāmohena pātitāḥ | mānavāḥ pāpasaṃghātāsteṣāṃ nāśāya nānyathā
So werden, o König, die Menschen—vom großen Wahn betört und zu Fall gebracht—zu Haufen von Sünde; und zu ihrem Untergang gibt es keinen anderen Weg.
Unknown (context not provided; likely within a Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue common to the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa)
Concept: Moha (delusion) precipitates collective downfall; without a saving intervention, beings accumulate pāpa leading to ruin.
Application: Treat delusion as the real enemy: reduce intoxicants of ego, anger, and misinformation; seek satsanga, disciplined practice, and remembrance of the Lord as protection against mass confusion.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king watches his subjects stumble as if sleepwalking, their eyes veiled by a dark mist labeled ‘mahāmoha,’ while the sage’s compassionate gaze suggests both warning and hope. In the far sky, a faint outline of Viṣṇu’s protective form appears like a promise not yet fully revealed.","primary_figures":["a compassionate ṛṣi","a worried king","deluded townspeople","faint celestial outline of Viṣṇu (symbolic)"],"setting":"royal courtyard opening onto a city street where people drift aimlessly; distant horizon with storm clouds","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["storm blue","smoke gray","muted saffron","pale gold","earth brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: foreground sage with gold halo and compassionate expression beside a king; background shows citizens with clouded eyes under a gray mist; in the upper panel a subtle gold-leaf silhouette of Viṣṇu’s form and cakra as a distant assurance; ornate arch and rich textiles contrasted with subdued crowd tones.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical city-and-courtyard scene; delicate faces showing confusion; soft gray wash for moha; a pale golden Viṣṇu outline in the sky; refined brushwork and gentle gradients conveying karuṇā.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: strong iconographic gestures—sage’s open palm of instruction, king’s folded hands; crowd rendered with repetitive stylized faces under a dark band of ‘moha’; upper corner shows a small Viṣṇu emblem (śaṅkha-cakra) in bright pigment.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative border panels showing ‘moha’ as creeping vine motifs; central lower scene of sage and king; upper medallion with faint Viṣṇu symbols emerging from lotus clouds; intricate floral borders, deep blues with restrained gold."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["low wind","distant human murmur","single bell toll","brief silence after key words"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पापसंघातास्तेषाम् = पापसंघाताः + तेषाम्; नान्यथा = न + अन्यथा
FAQs
It warns that great delusion (mahāmoha) causes people to fall into wrongdoing, becoming “masses of sin,” and that such delusion leads inevitably to ruin.
It depicts an accumulated condition—people are not merely committing isolated sins but have become a consolidated heap or multitude of sinful tendencies and actions.
Guarding the mind against delusion is essential; unchecked infatuation and ignorance degrade conduct and can culminate in self-destruction through karmic consequences.