Shloka 1
Fruits of Righteousness: Charity, Faith, and the Path to Yama
ययातिरुवाच । अधर्मस्य फलं सूत श्रुतं सर्वं मया विभो । धर्मस्यापि फलं ब्रूहि श्रोतुं कौतूहलं मम
yayātiruvāca | adharmasya phalaṃ sūta śrutaṃ sarvaṃ mayā vibho | dharmasyāpi phalaṃ brūhi śrotuṃ kautūhalaṃ mama
Yayāti sprach: „O Sūta, o Ehrwürdiger, ich habe die Folgen des Adharma vollständig vernommen. Sage mir nun auch die Frucht des Dharma, denn ich bin begierig zu hören.“
Yayāti
Concept: Having understood the consequences of adharma, one should actively seek knowledge of dharma and its fruits; curiosity (kautūhala) becomes a doorway to right living.
Application: Regularly audit one’s actions by reflecting on consequences; cultivate śravaṇa—listen to dharma teachings, then translate them into daily vows, charity, and restraint.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal sage-king Yayāti, crowned yet humble, sits with folded palms before a venerable narrator in an ascetic setting. Scrolls and lotus motifs frame the moment as he turns from hearing the terrors of adharma to requesting the luminous fruits of dharma, the air charged with earnest curiosity.","primary_figures":["Yayāti","Sūta (as addressed in the verse; narrator figure)"],"setting":"Forest hermitage court with a simple throne-mat, palm-leaf manuscripts, and a lotus pond nearby symbolizing the Padma Purāṇa’s lotus-origin theme.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["saffron ochre","lotus pink","deep indigo","burnished gold","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Yayāti with jeweled crown and folded hands seated on a red silk carpet before a serene Sūta-sage holding palm-leaf manuscripts; lotus pond and stylized temple arch behind; heavy gold leaf halos, gem-studded ornaments, rich vermilion and emerald accents, traditional South Indian iconography and ornate borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a gentle Himalayan-foothill āśrama scene with Yayāti in royal attire softened by humility, Sūta-sage under a flowering tree, delicate linework, cool greens and blues, lotus pond glinting, refined faces and lyrical naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, Yayāti and the sage in frontal-three-quarter poses with large expressive eyes; natural pigment palette of red, yellow, green; lotus motifs and manuscript bundle; temple-wall aesthetic with rhythmic decorative bands.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional storytelling panel with lotus borders and ornate floral vines; central figures Yayāti and the sage framed by stylized lotuses and peacocks; deep blue ground with gold highlights, intricate textile-like patterning, Nathdwara-inspired ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft tanpura drone","temple bells (distant)","morning birds","page-turn of palm leaves"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ययातिरुवाच = ययातिः + उवाच (विसर्ग-लोप). धर्मस्यापि = धर्मस्य + अपि. अन्यत्र स्पष्ट-सन्धि विशेषः न।
FAQs
Yayāti asks Sūta to explain the fruits (results) of dharma, after having already heard the fruits of adharma.
It sets up a comparative inquiry—first the consequences of unrighteous conduct, then the benefits of righteous conduct—highlighting karma-phala as an ethical framework.
The verse explicitly presents Yayāti as the speaker addressing Sūta, implying a didactic dialogue where Sūta functions as the narrator/teacher.