Shloka 67
Yayāti Episode: Indra’s Anxiety, the Messenger Motif, and a Discourse on Time (Kāla) and Karma
तेषां संगप्रसंगेन जरा देहं समाश्रिता । सर्वं कर्मकृतं मन्ये यन्मे संभावितं ध्रुवम्
teṣāṃ saṃgaprasaṃgena jarā dehaṃ samāśritā | sarvaṃ karmakṛtaṃ manye yanme saṃbhāvitaṃ dhruvam
Durch den fortgesetzten Umgang mit ihnen hat das Alter meinen Leib ergriffen. Ich halte dies alles für die Frucht meiner früheren Taten (Karma): Was mir widerfährt, ist gewiss festgelegt.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa dialogue)
Concept: One’s present condition—including decline and suffering—arises from one’s own prior actions; acceptance of karmic causality steadies the mind.
Application: Replace blame and panic with honest self-audit; respond to hardship by correcting conduct, seeking sattvic association, and turning to Hari-bhakti as purifying remedy.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An aged figure sits on a stone step outside a quiet shrine, hands resting on a staff, eyes lowered in introspection. Behind him, faint silhouettes of past companions drift like memories, while a lotus pond reflects the sky—suggesting time’s passage and karmic inevitability.","primary_figures":["an elderly king or householder (anonymous speaker)","subtle symbolic presence of Vishnu as a distant temple icon"],"setting":"temple courtyard beside a lotus pond, with worn pillars and a small lamp niche","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["smoky indigo","lamp-gold","ash gray","lotus pink","deep maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: an elderly repentant ruler seated near a Vishnu shrine, lotus pond at the side, ornate arch (prabhavali) behind the deity icon, gold leaf halo and borders, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments on the Vishnu murti, the human figure rendered with subdued tones to emphasize humility.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet courtyard with a lotus pond, the aged speaker seated in profile with delicate brushwork, cool dusk palette, refined facial features showing regret, distant small Vishnu temple with fluttering flag, lyrical naturalism and soft hills in the background.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, the aged figure in simple garments with expressive eyes, a stylized Vishnu icon in a sanctum doorway, lotus motifs around the frame, natural pigment palette dominated by red/yellow/green, temple-wall aesthetic emphasizing moral gravity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lotus pond with ornate floral borders, a small Vishnu shrine at the top center, the aged devotee at the lower edge in reverent posture, intricate lotuses and vines, deep blues and gold accents, symbolic karmic ‘threads’ woven into the border pattern."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","night insects","distant conch shell","stillness"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: संगप्रसंगेन = संग-प्रसंगेन (द्वन्द्व). यन्मे = यत् + मे. कर्मकृतं = कर्मकृतम् (अनुस्वार/हलन्त-रूप).
FAQs
It links bodily decline (old age) with the consequences of association and ultimately frames one’s experiences as the certain result of past karma.
It suggests that repeated company or contact has tangible effects on one’s condition, serving as a moral warning about keeping harmful associations.
It emphasizes personal responsibility: what one experiences is not random but shaped by prior actions, encouraging mindful conduct and wiser choices.