Shloka 87
The Greatness of the Ancestors: Ekoddiṣṭa Śrāddha, Āśauca Rules, and Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa
तच्चापि चाभवत्कुत्र चक्रवाकचतुष्टयं । तन्मे कथय सर्वज्ञ कुले कस्य च सुव्रतम्
taccāpi cābhavatkutra cakravākacatuṣṭayaṃ | tanme kathaya sarvajña kule kasya ca suvratam
And where did that become—the group of four cakravāka birds? Tell me that, O omniscient one: from which family did that virtuous one come?
Unknown (context not provided; likely the inquirer addressing a sage)
Concept: Virtue and destiny are traced through place and lineage; Purāṇic narration ties ethics to concrete origins (kula, deśa) to make dharma memorable and transmissible.
Application: Ask for sources—where, from whom, and under what discipline did a quality arise—before judging outcomes; value lineage as a carrier of responsibility, not pride.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An earnest questioner leans toward an omniscient sage, hands joined, while four cakravāka birds appear in a small inset-like vignette—paired silhouettes near water, suggesting separation and reunion. The composition visually splits between the human inquiry and the birds’ mysterious fate, inviting the viewer into the riddle.","primary_figures":["inquirer (unnamed)","omniscient sage (sarvajña, implied Pulastya)","four cakravāka birds"],"setting":"Āśrama dialogue space with a nearby lotus pond where cakravāka silhouettes can be shown as symbolic cutaway.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["lotus pink","pond teal","soft ochre","smoke gray","deep maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: sage seated with gold halo, questioner kneeling; a stylized lotus pond at the lower panel with four cakravāka birds in pairs; gold leaf borders, rich maroons and greens, ornate jewelry and textiles, narrative clarity with symbolic inset scene.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate hermitage scene with a lyrical pond; the four cakravāka birds painted with fine feather detail; cool palette, gentle gradients, refined faces, distant hills and trees, poetic mood of inquiry.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; sage and questioner in frontal clarity; birds rendered in stylized symmetry near a lotus pond; red-yellow-green pigments, temple-wall storytelling, decorative floral borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central medallion of sage and devotee-like questioner; surrounding border of lotus vines and small bird motifs; deep blue background with gold highlights; pond and cakravāka pairs integrated into ornamental design."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["pond water","distant bird calls","soft hand cymbals (manjira)","page-turning of palm leaves"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्+च+अपि → तच्चापि; च+अभवत् → चाभवत्; अभवत्+कुत्र → अभवत्कुत्र; तत्+मे → तन्मे
FAQs
The verse is spoken by an inquirer addressing an “all-knowing” respondent, but the exact speaker pair (e.g., Bhīṣma–Pulastya or Śiva–Pārvatī) cannot be confirmed from this single verse alone.
It literally means “a set of four cakravāka birds.” In Purāṇic storytelling this typically refers to a narrative transformation or rebirth episode involving these birds, which the speaker is asking to have explained.
“Suvrata” highlights virtue expressed through disciplined conduct and good vows; the question suggests that moral character and lineage/background are relevant to understanding the story being narrated.