Shloka 114
The Marks of Merit and the Destinies of Beings
Divine vs Demonic Traits
काकादयः स्वजातौ च तथान्ये च स्वजातिषु । प्रीता भवंति चाप्रीता विद्या तेषां च लक्षणम्
kākādayaḥ svajātau ca tathānye ca svajātiṣu | prītā bhavaṃti cāprītā vidyā teṣāṃ ca lakṣaṇam
Les corbeaux et leurs semblables se réjouissent parmi les leurs ; ainsi aussi les autres créatures au sein de leurs espèces respectives. Leur contentement ou leur déplaisir est le signe de leur (faible) discernement.
Unspecified (contextual narrator within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa, Adhyaya 76)
Concept: Creatures favor their own kind; their pleasure and displeasure mark the limits and signatures of their understanding—instinctive cognition rather than reflective ethics.
Application: Notice tribalism and reflexive likes/dislikes; practice widening empathy through seva, satsanga, and remembrance of Nārāyaṇa in all beings.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: hasya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lively forest-edge scene where a cluster of crows gathers around a banyan branch, cawing in animated camaraderie, while other animals keep to their own groups nearby. A contemplative sage watches quietly, suggesting the lesson: pleasure and displeasure reveal the contours of limited cognition.","primary_figures":["Crows (kākādayaḥ)","Other animals (deer, monkeys, cattle)","A contemplative sage-observer"],"setting":"Forest margin with banyan tree, scattered grains near a hermitage path, and distant thatched huts","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["ink black","banyan green","dusty brown","sunlit amber","ash grey"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central banyan with crows rendered in stylized form, a sage at the side holding a staff, gold leaf highlights on foliage and halo around the sage, rich earthy reds/greens, ornate border with small bird motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate naturalism—crows on branches, small animals grouped by kind, a quiet sage observing; soft hillside greenery, fine brushwork on feathers, gentle dappled light.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined crows and animals in grouped clusters, stylized banyan leaves, sage with calm expression, flat yet vibrant natural pigment palette and mural symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: decorative bird-and-flower border, central banyan and clustered crows, patterned ground with grains, deep blue/earth tones with gold detailing; the sage placed as a small moral witness in a side panel."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["bird calls (crows)","rustling leaves","soft hand bell","distant cowbells","ambient forest hush"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तथा + अन्ये → तथान्ये; च + अप्रीताः → चाप्रीताः.
FAQs
It observes that beings naturally favor their own group and develop likes and dislikes accordingly, presenting this tendency as a sign of limited, species-bound understanding rather than higher discernment.
Not directly. It functions more as a reflective, ethical-psychological observation within the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa rather than a sectarian or ritual instruction.
The verse can be read as cautioning that reactive preference (attachment and aversion) is a basic, instinct-like trait; cultivating impartiality and discernment is implied as a higher human aim.