Shloka 78
The Origin of the Daṇḍaka Forest and Rāma’s Dharma-Judgment
Vulture vs. Owl
शृणु देव मम ज्ञाप्यमेकचित्तो नराधिप । सोमाच्छक्राच्च सूर्याच्च धनदाच्च यमात्तथा
śṛṇu deva mama jñāpyamekacitto narādhipa | somācchakrācca sūryācca dhanadācca yamāttathā
Höre, o Herr, König der Menschen, mit einspitzigem Geist, was ich dir kundtue: (es ist überliefert) von Soma, von Śakra (Indra), von Sūrya, von Dhanada (Kubera) und ebenso von Yama.
Unspecified narrator addressing a king (narādhipa); precise speaker-pair not identifiable from this single verse alone.
Concept: True instruction is received through recognized authorities; single-pointed listening (ekacitta) is a prerequisite for dharmic understanding.
Application: Before judging or acting, gather reliable sources and listen without distraction; cultivate focused attention in study and counsel.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king sits humbly with folded hands as a sage-like speaker gestures upward, invoking a radiant mandala of five deities—Soma cool and lunar, Indra thunder-crowned, Sūrya blazing, Kubera jeweled, Yama austere. The air feels like a transmission of law from the heavens into the human court.","primary_figures":["human king (narādhipa)","sage/narrator","Soma","Indra (Śakra)","Sūrya","Kubera (Dhanada)","Yama"],"setting":"Royal audience hall opening into a visionary sky-panel where devas appear in cloud-thrones.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["moon silver","sun gold","storm violet","emerald green","obsidian black"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a seated king in ornate court listens intently to a rishi; above them a gold-leaf celestial register shows Soma with silver halo, Indra with vajra, Sūrya in blazing aureole, Kubera with treasure pot, Yama with staff; heavy gold embellishment, ruby and emerald textiles, symmetrical iconography.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined court interior with soft pastel garments; a translucent sky band reveals the five devas in delicate clouds; cool lunar tones for Soma, warm saffron for Sūrya, lyrical composition with fine linework and gentle expressions.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stacked registers—earthly court below, deva-vision above; bold outlines, flat yet vibrant pigments; iconic eyes and stylized crowns; rhythmic placement of Soma-Indra-Sūrya-Kubera-Yama with emblematic attributes.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional mandala of cosmic administrators around a central lotus medallion; ornate floral borders, deep blue ground, gold highlights; the listening king and sage at the bottom like a katha scene, with celestial figures above in patterned clouds."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["conch shell (soft)","temple bells","tanpura drone","gentle wind"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ज्ञाप्यमेकचित्तो = ज्ञाप्यम् + एकचित्तः (म् + ए → मे); सोमाच्छक्राच्च = सोमात् + शक्रात् + च (त् + श → च्छ; त् + च → च्च); सूर्याच्च = सूर्यात् + च (त् + च → च्च); धनदाच्च = धनदात् + च (त् + च → च्च); यमात्तथा = यमात् + तथा (त् + त → त्त).
FAQs
It signals that the forthcoming teaching is grounded in widely recognized divine authorities who preside over key cosmic functions—time/ritual (Soma), sovereignty (Indra), illumination/order (Sūrya), wealth (Kubera), and justice/death (Yama).
The listener (a king) is urged to hear with focused attention; the speaker frames the next teaching as validated by multiple divine sources.
Serious teachings should be received with concentration (ekacitta) and supported by reliable authority; rulers especially are reminded to learn carefully before acting.