Shloka 29
Narrative of Sumanā: The Quest for a Worthy Son and the Karmic Roots of Poverty
एकभार्या सदा द्वेषी बहुपुत्रो ह्यदत्तवान् । धर्मं नैव विजानासि सत्यं नैव परिश्रुतम्
ekabhāryā sadā dveṣī bahuputro hyadattavān | dharmaṃ naiva vijānāsi satyaṃ naiva pariśrutam
Bien que tu n’aies qu’une seule épouse, tu demeures toujours hostile ; bien que tu aies de nombreux fils, tu n’es pas charitable. Tu ne comprends pas vraiment le dharma, et tu n’as pas correctement appris la vérité.
Unspecified (context needed from surrounding verses in Bhūmi-khaṇḍa 17)
Concept: Domestic life without charity, truth, and dharma-learning degenerates into hostility; mere family structure (one wife, many sons) is not virtue—conduct is.
Application: Practice daily dāna (food, time, forgiveness), reduce household aggression, study dharma texts, and establish a simple Viṣṇu-centered routine (nāma-japa, lamp, offering) to transform family dynamics.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a modest home, a man stands tense and sharp-eyed while his wife sits withdrawn; sons linger in the background, uncertain. A sage’s words appear like a stern mirror—one side shows clenched fists and closed granary doors, the other shows open hands offering food before a small Viṣṇu lamp, hinting at the path from hostility to dharma.","primary_figures":["a stern householder","his wife (symbol of domestic harmony strained)","sons (as witnesses)","a sage/narrator (as moral mirror)","Vishnu (as small household shrine icon)"],"setting":"village household interior with a grain store, a low wooden seat, and a small corner shrine; threshold visible to suggest choice and change","lighting_mood":"interior lamp-lit with strong contrast—shadows in the quarrel space, warm light at the shrine corner","color_palette":["terracotta","mustard yellow","deep brown","lamp amber","muted turquoise"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: domestic interior with a small Viṣṇu shrine in gold-leaf arch, the householder confronted by a sage’s admonition; symbolic split composition—left side tense and shadowed, right side charitable offering scene; rich reds/greens, ornate borders, gold highlights on the shrine and offerings.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate household scene with nuanced expressions—hostility softened by the sage’s presence; delicate details of utensils and grain; cool yet warm-balanced palette, refined faces, a small glowing shrine corner.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined figures in a household setting, expressive eyes showing anger and remorse; shrine lamp radiating; strong reds/yellows/greens, symmetrical composition with moral contrast panels.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central household shrine motif framed by lotus and floral borders; narrative vignettes around the border showing dāna versus miserliness, harmony versus hostility; deep blue background with gold and white detailing, peacocks and cows as auspicious witnesses."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp bell strike at rebuke","low drone","household ambience fading into silence","soft conch at resolution cue"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नैव = न + एव; ह्यदत्तवान् = हि + अदत्तवान्.
FAQs
It criticizes persistent hostility (dveṣa), lack of charity (adattavān), and ignorance of dharma and truth despite outward signs of a settled household life.
It implies that household status—having a spouse and children—does not itself indicate righteousness; dharma is shown through virtues like non-hatred, generosity, and truthful learning.
Cultivate inner virtues (truthfulness, understanding of dharma) and outward conduct (charity, non-hostility), rather than relying on social markers like family size or marital status.