Shloka 84
Rāma’s Meeting with Agastya: Gift-Ethics (Dāna) and the Tale of King Śveta
शृणुष्वाद्य यथावृत्तं ममेदं सुखदुःखजम् । कामो हि दुरितक्रम्यः शृणु यत्पृच्छसे द्विज
śṛṇuṣvādya yathāvṛttaṃ mamedaṃ sukhaduḥkhajam | kāmo hi duritakramyaḥ śṛṇu yatpṛcchase dvija
Höre nun, was sich ereignete—meine Erfahrung, geboren aus Lust und Leid. Verlangen führt wahrlich ins Unrecht; höre, o Zweimalgeborener, was du erfragst.
Unspecified narrator (a respondent addressing a dvija)
Concept: Kāma (unrestrained desire) transgresses dharma and becomes the stepping-stone to sin; lived experience is offered as proof.
Application: Treat desire as an early-warning signal: pause, reflect on consequences, and redirect impulses into disciplined practice (japa, seva, vrata, sat-saṅga).
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A repentant narrator sits before a learned dvija, recounting a life that swung between pleasure and pain; his posture is heavy with remorse yet steady with resolve to speak truth. The listener’s calm, discerning gaze invites confession, while a small lamp burns steadily—symbol of dharma amid temptation.","primary_figures":["repentant narrator (respondent)","dvija (twice-born listener)"],"setting":"simple hermitage interior or shaded veranda; oil lamp, water pot, palm-leaf manuscript; quiet forest beyond","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["warm amber","smoked brown","sandalwood beige","deep green","copper"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: intimate confession scene with gold-leaf lamp glow; the dvija seated with scripture, the narrator gesturing as he admits kāma’s wrongdoing; rich maroons and greens, ornate border, subtle gold filigree emphasizing the lamp and sacred thread.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: restrained, emotive storytelling—soft amber lamp, delicate faces, quiet forest backdrop; gentle hand gestures, muted earth tones, contemplative atmosphere.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, warm lamp-lit palette; dvija with stylized sacred thread and manuscript, narrator in humble posture; patterned floor and foliage motifs, strong reds/yellows with earthy shading.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: moral-kathā vignette framed by floral borders; central lamp as symbolic axis, lotus motifs suggesting purity regained; deep indigo accents with gold and copper detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["steady lamp crackle (suggested)","night crickets","soft tanpura drone","brief bell at transitions"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शृणुष्वाद्य = शृणुष्व + अद्य; ममेदं = मम + इदम्; यथावृत्तं treated as यथा-वृत्तम् (avyayībhāva); यत्पृच्छसे = यत् + पृच्छसे; दुरितक्रम्यः as compound दुरित-क्रम्यः.
FAQs
It frames a moral testimony: personal experience (mixed pleasure and pain) is offered to show that unchecked kāma (desire) can lead a person into durita (wrongdoing).
“Dvija” literally means “twice-born,” a common honorific for a Brahmin (and sometimes for the initiated twice-born classes), indicating the listener is a learned inquirer.
It cautions that desire can become a stepping-stone into harmful action, so one should listen to moral narratives and apply restraint and discernment.