Shloka 12
Glory of Nīla Mountain and the Prelude to King Ratnagrīva’s Legend
वसुकोशं धनं सर्वं राज्यं तस्मै निवेद्य च । किं करोमीति राजा तं जगाद पुरतः स्थितः
vasukośaṃ dhanaṃ sarvaṃ rājyaṃ tasmai nivedya ca | kiṃ karomīti rājā taṃ jagāda purataḥ sthitaḥ
Nachdem er ihm die Schatzkammer, allen Reichtum und sogar das Königreich dargebracht hatte, sprach der König, vor ihm stehend: „Was soll ich tun?“
The king (unnamed in this verse)
Concept: True nobility is the willingness to relinquish wealth and power and to ask, with humility, what duty demands.
Application: Practice ‘sarvasva-bhāva’ in small ways: offer time, resources, and credit; ask mentors/elders ‘What is right for me to do?’ before acting.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a jeweled audience hall, the king stands before a revered warrior/leader and pours forth his entire treasury—gold, gems, and royal insignia—placing even the crown as an offering. With palms joined and eyes lowered, he asks, ‘What should I do?’, the moment suspended between fear of loss and peace of surrender.","primary_figures":["the king (donor)","Śatrughna or honored leader (recipient figure, implied by context)","court attendants","treasury bearers"],"setting":"royal sabhā with carved pillars, piled treasure chests, a throne set aside, and a ceremonial carpet leading to the honored guest","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["gold leaf","ruby red","peacock green","ivory","smoky blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: opulent court scene with heavy gold leaf on pillars and treasure, the king offering crown and chests at the feet of the honored figure, gem-studded ornaments, rich reds and greens, embossed gold borders, devotional posture emphasized with serene facial expressions.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate moral drama in a refined court, delicate rendering of treasure and textiles, soft light on the king’s bowed face, restrained elegance, subtle emotional tension, architectural details with pastel washes and precise linework.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and warm pigments, the king in pronounced namaskāra stance, stylized heaps of gold and royal emblems, large expressive eyes conveying surrender, temple-wall narrative composition with ornamental fillers.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: court transformed into a devotional offering tableau, lotus borders and intricate floral frames, deep blue background with gold highlights, the act of ‘sarvasva-nivedana’ centered, auspicious Vaishnava symbols (śaṅkha-cakra) subtly woven into the border."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","hushed court silence","coin/ornament clink","low drone (tanpura)","distant conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: करोमीति = करोमि + इति; मेऽद्भुतः इत्यादि न अत्र।
FAQs
It highlights humility and surrender to wise guidance: even after offering wealth and power, the king seeks right action rather than assuming he already knows what is best.
It signifies complete renunciation of personal claim and readiness to place worldly resources at the service of dharma, a common motif to show sincerity and devotion.
The speaker is the king; he addresses an implied revered recipient (“to him”), but the verse itself does not name the other person.