Shloka 64
यस्मात्तिर्यक्प्रवृत्तिः स्यात्तिर्यक्स्रोतस्ततः स्मृतः । पश्वादयस्ते विख्यातास्तमः प्राया ह्यवेदिनः
yasmāttiryakpravṛttiḥ syāttiryaksrotastataḥ smṛtaḥ | paśvādayaste vikhyātāstamaḥ prāyā hyavedinaḥ
Weil ihr Wirken sich in waagrechter Weise vollzieht, werden sie daher als „tiryak-srotas“ erinnert, deren Strom seitwärts fließt. Als Tiere und dergleichen sind sie bekannt—vorwiegend vom Dunkel (tamas) beherrscht und ohne Unterscheidungsvermögen.
Not explicitly stated in the provided excerpt (contextually, a narrator describing categories of created beings in Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa).
Concept: Tamas-dominant embodiment yields sideways, instinct-led activity and weak discernment; spiritual progress requires rising beyond tamas.
Application: Notice tamasic patterns (inertia, heedlessness, compulsive sense-chasing) and counter them with sāttvika food, truthful speech, regulated sleep, and daily nāma-smaraṇa.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A cosmic panorama of creation’s lower stream: animals moving laterally across an earthy plane—deer, cattle, serpents, and birds—beneath a vast, shadowed sky. Above them, faint shafts of light hint at higher realms, while the ground is heavy with mist, symbolizing tamas and limited discernment.","primary_figures":["Brahmā (distant, as creator)","tiryak beings (cattle, deer, serpents, birds)"],"setting":"Primeval earth-plain at the edge of creation, with indistinct horizons and a suggestion of the cosmic lotus far above.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["smoky umber","moss green","ash gray","muted ochre","faint silver"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Brahmā seated on a subtle lotus-throne in the upper register with gold leaf halo, below him a horizontal procession of animals (tiryak-srotas) across a dark earth band; rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments on Brahmā, heavy gold outlining to contrast the tamasic lower world, traditional South Indian iconography and ornamental borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical earthscape with a sideways-moving animal procession—deer and cattle in gentle profile, serpents winding—under a cool, misty sky; delicate brushwork, refined faces, soft Himalayan palette, distant suggestion of a lotus-cosmos above, quiet moral symbolism through light and shadow.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; a tiered composition with Brahmā above and a broad frieze of animals below, tamasic darkness rendered as deep browns and greens; characteristic large eyes, temple-wall aesthetic, rhythmic patterns suggesting ‘sideways current’.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a symbolic lower band of animals moving laterally around a central lotus motif; intricate floral borders, stylized foliage, deep blues and earthy browns; subtle Vaishnava cue—tiny śālagrāma/Viṣṇu emblem above indicating the higher refuge beyond tamas."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple drone","distant wind","soft mridangam pulse","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यस्मात्+तिर्यक्→यस्मात्तिर्यक्; स्यात्+तिर्यक्→स्यात्तिर्यक्; तिर्यक्+स्रोतः→तिर्यक्स्रोतः; पशु+आदयः→पश्वादयः; ते+विख्याताः→ते विख्याताः (external sandhi in recitation); प्रायाः+हि→प्राया हि; हि+अवेदिनः→ह्यवेदिनः
FAQs
It denotes a class of beings whose life-current or mode of activity is described as ‘sideways’ (tiryak), traditionally associated with animals and non-human creatures in Purāṇic creation taxonomy.
The verse frames animal consciousness as more governed by tamas—instinct, inertia, and limited reflective discernment—contrasted with beings capable of higher discrimination and spiritual inquiry.
It highlights the value of viveka (discernment) as a distinctly human/spiritually cultivated capacity, encouraging readers to rise beyond tamasic tendencies through knowledge, discipline, and dharmic living.