Shloka 54
The Yayāti Episode
with the Glory of Mātā–Pitṛ Tīrtha
तारुण्यंदत्तवानस्मै जग्राहास्माज्जरां नृप । ततः कृते विनिमये वयसोस्तातपुत्रयोः
tāruṇyaṃdattavānasmai jagrāhāsmājjarāṃ nṛpa | tataḥ kṛte vinimaye vayasostātaputrayoḥ
Er schenkte ihm die Jugend und nahm ihm das Alter, o König. So wurde der Austausch des Alters zwischen Vater und Sohn vollzogen.
Narrator (addressing a king: nṛpa)
Concept: Filial duty can demand profound personal sacrifice; the body’s conditions are mutable, but dharma and intention shape destiny.
Application: Care for parents/elders; accept inconvenience for higher duty; remember youth is transient and should be used for dharma.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A solemn ritual unfolds as the father’s withered features soften into radiant youth while the son’s body visibly bears the weight of age. The exchange is shown as a subtle stream of light passing between them, witnessed by stunned courtiers and a priest holding sacred kusa grass.","primary_figures":["the king (father)","Pūru (son)","purohita","astonished courtiers"],"setting":"palace ritual chamber with fire-altar, kusa mats, and hanging garlands","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["pearl white","amber gold","smoky violet","copper brown","lotus pink"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic age-exchange moment—gold leaf rays connecting father and son, embossed jewelry, rich vermilion drapery, ornate palace backdrop, sacred fire glowing with gesso relief, expressive yet iconic faces, heavy gold ornamentation emphasizing the miraculous transformation.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate depiction of transformation with fine gradients; father’s face becoming youthful, son’s posture slightly stooped; soft palace interior, patterned textiles, restrained emotion, cool shadows and lyrical composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized transformation with bold outlines; a luminous band between figures, large eyes, simplified anatomy, temple-wall border motifs, red-yellow-green pigments with black contouring.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: transformation framed by lotus creepers and floral borders; symmetrical attendants, decorative aura patterns, deep indigo ground with gold highlights, ritual objects rendered as ornate motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["low drone (tanpura)","sudden hush","crackling ritual fire","single bell strike at the moment of exchange"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तारुण्यंदत्तवानस्मै → तारुण्यं दत्तवान् अस्मै; जग्राहास्माज्जरां → जग्राह अस्मात् जराम्; वयसोस्तातपुत्रयोः → वयसोः तातपुत्रयोः
FAQs
It describes an exchange in which youth is given to one person and old age is taken from him—specifically an age-exchange between a father and his son.
The vocative “nṛpa” indicates the narration is being told to a royal listener, a common Purāṇic framing device for didactic storytelling.
It highlights the intimate bonds of duty and sacrifice within family life, presenting age and vitality as transferable within the moral drama of dharma and obligation.