Shloka 38
Prologue to the Śivaśarmā Narrative with the Prahlāda Tradition
Variant-Resolution Frame
यद्यत्त्वमिच्छसे विप्र तद्ददामि न संशयः । एतद्वाक्यं महच्छ्रुत्वा अप्रियं पापसंकुलम्
yadyattvamicchase vipra taddadāmi na saṃśayaḥ | etadvākyaṃ mahacchrutvā apriyaṃ pāpasaṃkulam
ಹೇ ವಿಪ್ರನೇ! ನೀನು ಏನು ಬಯಸುವೆಯೋ ಅದನ್ನು ನಾನು ನೀಡುವೆನು—ಸಂದೇಹವೇ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಈ ಗಂಭೀರವಾದ, ಅಪ್ರಿಯವಾದ, ಪಾಪಸಂಕುಲವಾದ ಮಾತುಗಳನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿ ಅವನು ಕಳವಳಗೊಂಡನು.
Unspecified (a speaker addressing a brāhmaṇa, ‘vipra’)
Concept: Not every generous offer is righteous; discern the moral quality (pāpa-saṅkula) behind enticing words.
Application: Evaluate proposals by their ethical cost; if an offer makes the mind uneasy or violates duty, decline respectfully and seek a sattvic alternative.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A brāhmaṇa stands slightly turned away, eyes lowered, as if the very words he hears have become a dark cloud curling around the room. The speaker’s hand is extended in promise, but the brāhmaṇa’s aura is shown as a pale, steady light resisting the encroaching shadow of sin-laden persuasion.","primary_figures":["a brāhmaṇa (vipra)","the persuasive speaker (unnamed)"],"setting":"Threshold between an inner chamber and an open courtyard—symbolizing the choice between concealment and clarity.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["ashen gray","pale gold","midnight blue","sandalwood beige","crimson accent"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: brāhmaṇa with calm, luminous face and sacred thread, the other figure offering boons with ornate attire, gold leaf used to depict the brāhmaṇa’s sattvic aura, darker tones around the tempting words as stylized smoke, architectural threshold framing the moral decision.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: subtle psychological scene—downcast eyes, gentle hand gestures, airy courtyard beyond, delicate shading to show ‘apriya’ heaviness, refined linework and restrained palette with a single crimson accent for temptation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: symbolic contrast—light halo around the brāhmaṇa, dark swirling motif near the speaker’s mouth/hand, bold outlines and temple-wall composition, strong primary pigments with controlled shadow motifs.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical composition with two sides—sattva (lotus, white) around the brāhmaṇa and tamas (dark floral knots) around the tempting offer, ornate borders, deep blue ground with gold highlights."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft wind","distant temple bell","low tanpura drone","footsteps on stone","brief silence after ‘pāpasankulam’"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यद्यत्त्वमिच्छसे = यदि + तत् + त्वम् + इच्छसे (tad used emphatically; sandhi yields yadyat-). तद्ददामि = तत् + ददामि. एतद्वाक्यम् = एतत् + वाक्यम्. महच्छ्रुत्वा = महत् + श्रुत्वा (t-final to cch before śr).
FAQs
It expresses an unconditional offer to grant whatever a brāhmaṇa asks for, while also hinting that the words heard are troubling—unpleasant and associated with sin—setting up a moral conflict in the surrounding narrative.
It suggests the request or the implications of the offer may lead to adharma (wrong action). The verse flags ethical danger: not every desire should be fulfilled, even if one has the power to grant it.
Discernment matters in charity and boon-giving: generosity should be guided by dharma, because granting harmful or unrighteous desires can entangle both giver and receiver in wrongdoing.