Shloka 96
छलभावं तुले कृत्वा नरकं प्रतिपद्यते । अतुलं चापि यद्द्रव्यं तत्र मिथ्या परित्यजेत्
chalabhāvaṃ tule kṛtvā narakaṃ pratipadyate | atulaṃ cāpi yaddravyaṃ tatra mithyā parityajet
Wer beim Wiegen Betrug übt, gelangt in die Hölle. Und wenn eine Ware nicht zum Wiegen bestimmt ist, soll man sie nicht lügnerisch so behandeln, als wäre sie gewogen, um zu täuschen; man lasse die Unwahrheit.
Unspecified (narratorial/dharmic instruction within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa context)
Concept: Cheating by manipulating weights leads to hell; do not misclassify goods as weighable to deceive—truth must govern commerce.
Application: In business: transparent pricing, accurate measurement, no hidden fees, no misleading categorization; in daily life: avoid ‘technicalities’ used to exploit others.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A shadowy marketplace scene shows a deceitful trader secretly pressing a balance scale with his thumb, while the victim looks confused. Behind them, the scene dissolves into a terrifying vision of Yama’s realm—iron gates, judgment scrolls, and the same scale now blazing with karmic fire.","primary_figures":["deceitful trader","innocent buyer","Yama (suggested)","Yamadūtas (suggested)"],"setting":"market stall transitioning into a naraka courtroom with iron architecture and karmic ledgers","lighting_mood":"dramatic","color_palette":["charcoal black","rust red","ember orange","ashen white","cold steel blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: split-scene composition—foreground merchant cheating with a tilted tulā, background a gold-leaf yet ominous Yama court with fiery accents; ornate but severe framing, gem-like highlights on the scale, rich maroons and dark greens, stylized flames.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: narrative transition—market vignette blending into a dark judgment landscape; delicate linework for the scale mechanism, expressive faces, subdued palette with sharp ember highlights, distant rocky naraka terrain.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines—large central tulā, one pan weighed down by deceit; Yama and attendants in stylized form, red/yellow/green with heavy blacks, temple-wall intensity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: moral allegory—central balance scale surrounded by intricate floral border that darkens into thorn motifs; deep indigo ground with gold and crimson flames, symbolic chakra/conch motifs indicating divine law overseeing commerce."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp bell strikes","low drum","wind-like hush","distant thunder"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यद्द्रव्यं = यत् + द्रव्यम्; चापि = च + अपि.
FAQs
It condemns cheating in trade—specifically manipulating weights/measures or misrepresenting how a commodity should be evaluated—calling it a cause of falling into naraka (hell).
“Atula” indicates something not properly assessed by weighing; the verse warns against falsely bringing such goods “onto the scale” (i.e., misclassifying or misrepresenting them) as a means of deception.
Maintain truthfulness and fairness in transactions: use correct measures, avoid fraudulent practices, and do not manipulate classifications or standards to gain unjust profit.