Shloka 4
The Origin of the Maruts
Diti’s Penance and Indra’s Intervention
कश्यप उवाच । निहतौ बलवृत्रौ च मम पुत्रौ महाबलौ । अघमाश्रित्य देवेन इंद्रेणापि दुरात्मना
kaśyapa uvāca | nihatau balavṛtrau ca mama putrau mahābalau | aghamāśritya devena iṃdreṇāpi durātmanā
Kaśyapa dit : «Mes deux fils d’une grande puissance, Bala et Vṛtra, ont été tués ; le dieu Indra, au cœur mauvais, les a abattus en s’appuyant sur le péché.»
Kaśyapa
Concept: Even divine status does not exempt one from pāpa; adharma rebounds through karmic consequence and provokes counter-forces.
Application: Do not justify unethical means by appealing to authority or ‘greater good’; cultivate dharmic means, because outcomes carry the imprint of method.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Kaśyapa, the ancient patriarch, stands in a hermitage court with matted locks and blazing eyes, grief and fury mingling as he speaks of Bala and Vṛtra’s fall. In the background, Indra’s distant silhouette is framed by storm-clouds and broken vajra-light, suggesting a victory stained by sin rather than glory.","primary_figures":["Kaśyapa","Indra (as a distant, morally shadowed figure)","Bala","Vṛtra"],"setting":"Forest āśrama with sacrificial fire, deer-skin seats, and a sky darkening as if responding to the sage’s wrath.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled turning to thunderous gloom","color_palette":["smoky indigo","ash gray","saffron ember","deep maroon","vajra silver"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Kaśyapa in frontal three-quarter pose beside a glowing yajña-kuṇḍa, right hand raised in accusatory mudrā; Indra shown smaller in the upper corner amid stylized storm clouds and a faint vajra, gold leaf halo around the sage emphasizing tapas-śakti, rich reds/greens with gem-like ornament accents on ritual vessels.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet hermitage scene with delicate linework—Kaśyapa seated on kusa grass, eyes reddened with grief; distant Indra under a brooding sky, subtle mountain foothills and riverlet, cool blues and muted browns, expressive faces with restrained drama.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold-outlined Kaśyapa with intense eyes and flared brows, warm ochres and greens; Indra rendered in darker tones behind cloud motifs, stylized flames of the homa, temple-wall composition with rhythmic patterns.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative panel with ornate floral borders; Kaśyapa near a lotus-filled pond symbolizing cosmic order disturbed, storm motifs above; use deep blues and gold highlights, intricate textile-like detailing, secondary vignettes of Bala and Vṛtra as emblematic figures."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["distant thunder","crackling sacrificial fire","low temple drum","brief silence after accusation"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अघम् + आश्रित्य → अघमाश्रित्य (म् + आ = मा); इन्द्रेण + अपि → इन्द्रेणापि; पदविभागः: कश्यपः/उवाच/निहतौ/बलवृत्रौ/च/मम/पुत्रौ/महाबलौ/अघम्/आश्रित्य/देवेन/इन्द्रेण/अपि/दुरात्मना।
FAQs
The speaker is Kaśyapa. He laments that his two powerful sons, Bala and Vṛtra, were slain by Indra, and he characterizes the act as involving sin (agha).
The verse suggests that status as a 'deva' does not automatically sanctify one’s actions; wrongdoing remains blameworthy, and moral accountability applies even to exalted figures.
It frames the killing as accomplished by 'resorting to sin'—implying unethical means (adharmic conduct) rather than a purely righteous victory.