Shloka 35
The Account and Merit of Śivadūtī
with the Nāga-tīrtha at Puṣkara
शापो यो भवता दत्तो मनुष्यो जनमेजयः । नाशं नः सर्पसत्रेण उल्बणं च करिष्यति
śāpo yo bhavatā datto manuṣyo janamejayaḥ | nāśaṃ naḥ sarpasatreṇa ulbaṇaṃ ca kariṣyati
Der Fluch, den du gegeben hast, wird bewirken, dass der Menschenkönig Janamejaya uns durch ein Schlangenopfer vernichtet und großes Unheil herbeiführt.
Unspecified (context required to confirm the exact speaker within the dialogue)
Concept: A curse and retaliatory ritual can spiral into collective catastrophe; unchecked vengeance weaponizes sacred acts.
Application: Interrupt cycles of revenge early; do not use institutions, law, or ‘righteous’ tools as cover for personal wrath.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A colossal sacrificial arena blazes with towering flames as mantras pull serpents through the air like iron to a magnet. In the foreground, nāgas recoil in terror, their jeweled hoods dimmed by ash, while the shadow of King Janamejaya looms beside the altar—vengeance dressed as ritual.","primary_figures":["King Janamejaya","Nāgas","Vedic priests (ṛtviks)","(Foreshadowed) Āstīka as a distant approaching figure"],"setting":"A vast yajña-śālā with blackened pillars, ladles of ghee, mantra-inscribed posts, and a roaring fire-pit; crowds at the perimeter.","lighting_mood":"firelit dramatic","color_palette":["flame orange","charcoal black","blood red","brass gold","ashen gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: grand sacrificial hall with embossed gold flames and ornate altar; Janamejaya in royal attire with heavy jewelry; priests chanting with ladles; nāgas being drawn toward the fire in swirling arcs; intense reds/oranges with gold leaf highlights, intricate border patterns like ritual textiles.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: dynamic diagonal composition—fire pit at center, serpents arcing through smoky air; delicate facial expressions of fear; muted earth tones with sharp vermilion flames; fine detailing of ritual implements and patterned carpets.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized yajña scene with bold outlines, rhythmic flame shapes, priests in symmetrical rows; Janamejaya frontal with commanding posture; nāgas rendered as patterned coils; dominant reds/yellows/black for a temple-wall intensity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: transform the yajña arena into a decorative mandala-like layout; repeating flame and lotus motifs; serpents as ornamental borders being drawn inward; deep indigo background with gold and red highlights, intricate floral frames."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["crackling fire","urgent drum (mridang) strokes","chanting chorus","conch shell blasts","rising wind"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: No major external sandhi beyond standard visarga; sarpasatreṇa is a tatpuruṣa compound (sarpa+satra).
FAQs
Janamejaya is a famed Kuru king known from Itihāsa tradition, especially for conducting the sarpa-satra (snake-sacrifice) connected with the death of Parīkṣit.
Sarpa-satra is the ritual sacrifice undertaken to destroy serpents (nāgas), remembered as a large-scale act of vengeance with far-reaching consequences.
It underscores how a curse or hostile intention can set off chains of retaliation and collective suffering, warning against actions that escalate into disproportionate harm.