Shloka 16
Prologue to the Suvrata Narrative: Revā (Narmadā) and Vāmana-tīrtha; Greed, Anxiety, and the Ethics of Trust
लोभः पापस्य बीजं हि मोहो मूलं च तस्य हि । असत्यं तस्य वै स्कंधो माया शाखा सुविस्तरा
lobhaḥ pāpasya bījaṃ hi moho mūlaṃ ca tasya hi | asatyaṃ tasya vai skaṃdho māyā śākhā suvistarā
La convoitise est vraiment la semence du péché ; l’illusion (moha) en est la racine. Le mensonge en est le tronc, et la māyā, la branche qui s’étend au loin.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses to confirm the dialogue speaker).
Concept: Sin grows organically: greed initiates it, delusion roots it, falsehood stabilizes it, and māyā proliferates it.
Application: Audit daily motives: identify lobha-driven choices, pause before acting, and replace with contentment (santoṣa) and truthfulness; reduce exposure to deceptive speech and self-justifying narratives.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A symbolic ‘tree of sin’ rises from cracked earth: a seed labeled lobha sprouts into a dark trunk of asatya, while a vast branching canopy of māyā spreads like smoke. A calm Vaishnava sage points to the tree’s anatomy, while a distant golden lotus with Viṣṇu’s footprint motif glows as the antidote of satya and śraddhā.","primary_figures":["Vaishnava sage (upadeśaka)","Personified Lobha (as a shadowy seed-spirit)","Personified Moha (as tangled roots)"],"setting":"Didactic allegorical grove at the edge of a pilgrimage path; stone markers inscribed with satya/dharma near a small lamp shrine.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled shifting into divine radiance near the lamp shrine","color_palette":["charcoal black","ash gray","deep indigo","lamp-flame amber","lotus pink"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: an allegorical pāpa-vṛkṣa with a dark jeweled trunk labeled ‘asatya’, sprawling gold-leaf māyā branches curling like vines; a serene Vaishnava sage with tilaka gestures in instruction, a small gold-leaf lamp shrine with Viṣṇu pāda symbols at the base; rich reds and greens, ornate borders, gem-studded ornaments, high contrast gold highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical moral allegory in a quiet grove—slender dark tree with tangled roots, delicate inscriptions on stones reading satya/dharma; a gentle-faced sage in white and saffron points while a faint lotus aura appears in the sky; cool palette, fine brushwork, soft hills and a winding path suggesting pilgrimage.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined tree of sin with stylized roots (moha) and branching māyā canopy; the sage with prominent eyes and Vaishnava tilaka stands in teaching mudrā; natural pigment reds/yellows/greens with black outlines, temple-wall symmetry, decorative floral borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central dark tree of māyā contrasted with a luminous lotus mandala bearing Viṣṇu symbols; intricate floral borders, small cows and peacocks at the periphery as dharma’s gentleness; deep blues and gold, lotus motifs dominating, Nathdwara-inspired ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","soft drone (tanpura)","rustling leaves","brief silence after each pāda"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: No major external sandhi beyond standard visarga; pāpasya bījam (अ + ब) unchanged; suvistarā = सु + विस्तरा (prefixal formation, not a samāsa)
FAQs
It traces a chain of moral decline: greed initiates wrongdoing, delusion sustains it at the root, falsehood gives it structure, and deception spreads it outward—warning that inner impulses generate outward harm.
The verse uses a tree metaphor: falsehood is the trunk that stabilizes sin in one’s life, while māyā (deception/illusion) is the branching expansion through which sin multiplies into many forms.
Not explicitly in this shloka; it is primarily an ethical-psychological teaching. In broader Purāṇic context, such teachings support spiritual practice by emphasizing truthfulness and freedom from greed and delusion.