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
Walau hanya satu istri, engkau senantiasa dipenuhi kebencian; walau banyak putra, engkau tidak dermawan. Engkau tidak sungguh memahami dharma, dan kebenaran pun tidak engkau pelajari dengan semestinya.
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Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a modest home, a man stands tense and sharp-eyed while his wife sits withdrawn; sons linger in the background, uncertain.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.