Shloka 148
The Tale of the Vulture and the She-Jackal: The Māhātmya of the Saukarava Sacred Field
उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं कलिङ्गानां महाधिपम्॥ भर्त्ता धर्मो यशो भर्त्ता भर्त्तैव प्रियमान्त्मनः॥
uvāca madhuraṃ vākyaṃ kaliṅgānāṃ mahādhipam || bharttā dharmo yaśo bharttā bharttaiva priyam ātmanaḥ ||
Sie sprach süße Worte zum großen Herrn der Kaliṅgas: „Der Gatte ist Dharma; der Gatte ist Ehre; ja, der Gatte ist das, was dem eigenen Selbst lieb ist.“
Unspecified (likely Devī/Pṛthivī speaking; explicit ‘she spoke’ but name absent)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"observer","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"None","karmic_consequence":"None"}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"narrative hermeneutics (authority through lineage and speech)","core_concept":"Purāṇic authority is conveyed by genealogy (Kaśyapa-suta) and by the contrast of gentle tone with ‘mahadvacah’ (substantive counsel).","practical_application":"Attend to who speaks (adhikāra) and how they speak (mādhurya + gambhīratā) when weighing ethical instruction."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Historical Dharma-shastra"]
Primary Rasa: vīra
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: itihāsa-purāṇic narrative frame
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 137 (Bali episode continuation)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Bali, strong yet courteous, turns to reply—his posture firm, his face calm, voice gentle, words weighty; the narrator’s ‘camera’ shifts to him.","item_prompts":["Bali with regal/daitya king attributes","calm facial expression","hand raised in speaking gesture","listeners attentive","subtle indication of Kaśyapa lineage (sage motif or ancestral emblem)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Bali in heroic stance with ornate ornaments, yet serene eyes; speaking gesture emphasized; warm background with stylized attendants.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Bali centered with gold highlights on crown/armlets; speech moment framed by decorative arch and halo-like aura of authority.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined portrait-like Bali, gentle expression, controlled gesture; minimal but elegant court setting.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative vignette with Bali slightly turned, addressing an unseen interlocutor; crisp lines, cool palette, lyrical restraint."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative and poised","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"measured, resonant"}
FAQs
It reflects normative social-ethical idioms found across Purāṇic and dharma literature, offering evidence for ideals of kingship and household order in textual traditions.
Kaliṅga is named (a historical region in eastern India). The verse addresses its ruler, indicating a narrative linkage to that polity.
It articulates a household-centered ethical ideal where the spouse is framed as a locus of duty and social honor; in archival presentation this is best treated descriptively as a historical norm, not a prescriptive mandate.