Shloka 5
Narrative of King Pṛthu: Chastising and Milking the Earth
पालितव्यं प्रयत्नेन यस्माद्धर्मः प्रवर्द्धते । भवत्या तु महत्पापं प्रजासंक्षयकारकम्
pālitavyaṃ prayatnena yasmāddharmaḥ pravarddhate | bhavatyā tu mahatpāpaṃ prajāsaṃkṣayakārakam
इसे प्रयत्नपूर्वक सुरक्षित रखना चाहिए, क्योंकि इससे धर्म बढ़ता है। परन्तु तुम्हारे द्वारा एक महान पाप हो रहा है, जो प्रजा के विनाश का कारण है।
Unspecified (male speaker addressing a woman, likely within a didactic dialogue)
Concept: Dharma must be actively protected; neglect or harmful action that causes prajā-kṣaya is mahāpāpa.
Application: Guard institutions and habits that sustain life—truth, non-exploitation, care for dependents; recognize that private wrongdoing can become public catastrophe.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serious counselor or sage addresses a woman of authority, pointing toward a fragile crowd—children, elders, and animals—symbolizing prajā. Behind them stands a pillar inscribed ‘Dharma’, cracked where negligence has struck, while the speaker urges vigilant protection to prevent collapse.","primary_figures":["Dharma-speaker (sage/minister)","A woman of authority (queen/guardian figure)","Prajā (villagers, children, animals)"],"setting":"Royal courtyard opening to a public square; a symbolic dharma-pillar and protective ramparts","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit seriousness with sharp highlights on faces","color_palette":["deep maroon","antique gold","stone gray","peacock blue","sandalwood beige"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: ornate court scene; sage-minister with halo admonishes a queen; a gold-leaf dharma-pillar with visible crack; prajā gathered in lower register; rich reds/greens, heavy jewelry, stylized architecture, moral didactic composition with gold embellishment","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined palace veranda; counselor in saffron gestures toward distant villagers; queen in muted blue listens with conflicted expression; delicate linework, soft shadows, Himalayan-like cool palette adapted to courtly setting","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; queen and sage in profile with large eyes; dharma-pillar motif central; rhythmic crowd patterns; warm red-yellow-green pigments, temple-wall aesthetic","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical dharma-tree whose roots are prajā; the queen’s hand either waters or withholds; floral borders, lotuses and cows as prosperity symbols; deep blue ground with gold and white detailing, narrative panels showing ‘protection’ vs ‘decline’."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["court ambience hush","anklet chime faint","temple lamp crackle","distant crowd murmur"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यस्माद्धर्मः = यस्मात् धर्मः; महत्पापं = महत् पापम्; प्रजासंक्षयकारकम् = प्रजा-संक्षय-कारकम्.
FAQs
It teaches that dharma must be actively safeguarded, because social flourishing depends on it; neglecting it becomes a grave wrongdoing that harms the community.
It implies deliberate protection and maintenance—dharma is not assumed to persist automatically; it requires vigilant effort (often associated with governance, discipline, and moral restraint).
It states that a person’s great sin can become “prajā-saṃkṣaya-kāraka,” i.e., a cause of the people’s decline—linking private ethics with collective well-being.