Shloka 4
Account of the Ripening of Karma
Childlessness, Offspring, and Remedial Dharma
वंध्या स्त्री वा भवेत्केन वृजिनेन ममाग्रतः । कथय शृण्वतो वै मे सर्वप्राणिहिते रत
vaṃdhyā strī vā bhavetkena vṛjinena mamāgrataḥ | kathaya śṛṇvato vai me sarvaprāṇihite rata
Durch welche Sünde kann eine Frau vor meinen eigenen Augen unfruchtbar werden? Sage es mir, während ich höre, o du, der du am Wohl aller Wesen Gefallen findest.
Unspecified in provided excerpt (a questioner addressing a compassionate interlocutor)
Concept: Suffering (such as infertility) is interrogated through the lens of ethical causality, while the addressee is praised as sarva-prāṇi-hita-rata—one committed to universal welfare.
Application: Respond to others’ pain with inquiry aimed at remedy, not blame; seek counsel from those known for compassion and integrity.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A distressed woman stands in the foreground with downcast eyes, hands clasped, while a compassionate sage or divine interlocutor sits calmly, listening with softened gaze. The scene balances human vulnerability with the promise of dharmic guidance, suggesting that knowledge can transform grief into a path of remedy.","primary_figures":["barren woman (vandhyā)","compassionate sage/teacher (sarva-prāṇi-hita-rata)"],"setting":"Hermitage courtyard with tulsi pots and a small fire altar implied, village women at a respectful distance, earthen lamps and water vessel nearby.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["warm ochre","deep maroon","lamp gold","ash white","forest green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: compassionate sage seated with gold halo and ornate arch, the woman in humble posture before him; gold leaf highlights on lamps, jewelry, and borders; rich reds/greens, embossed lotus motifs, devotional solemnity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate counseling scene in a quiet ashram courtyard; delicate facial expressions showing grief and compassion; soft natural greens and browns, fine textiles, gentle shading, lyrical stillness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, expressive large eyes; the woman’s pleading añjali and the teacher’s calm blessing gesture; warm reds/yellows/greens, temple-wall composition with stylized foliage.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative vignette framed by floral borders and lotus motifs; the compassionate teacher centered, the woman at his feet; decorative lamps and patterned textiles, deep blues and gold accents, devotional atmosphere."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","low mridangam pulse","night insects","gentle silence after the plea"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भवेत्केन = भवेत् + केन; ममाग्रतः = मम + अग्रतः; सर्वप्राणिहिते = सर्व + प्राणि + हित (तत्पुरुष).
FAQs
It asks which specific wrongdoing (vṛjina) is said to lead to a woman becoming barren, and requests an explanation from someone devoted to universal welfare.
No. This shloka is the inquiry; the causal explanation is expected in subsequent verses.
It frames the topic as a moral-educational inquiry into karma and consequences, addressed respectfully to a compassionate teacher figure concerned with the good of all beings.