Shloka 24
The Episode of Vena: Pṛthu’s Counsel, Royal Proclamation, and Brahmā’s Boon
शिरश्छेदो भवेत्तस्य यथाचक्रैर्निकृंतितः । तदाप्रभृति वै पापं नैव कोपि समाचरेत्
śiraśchedo bhavettasya yathācakrairnikṛṃtitaḥ | tadāprabhṛti vai pāpaṃ naiva kopi samācaret
അവന്റെ ശിരസ് ഛേദിക്കപ്പെടും, മൂർച്ചയുള്ള ചക്രംകൊണ്ട് മുറിച്ചതുപോലെ. അന്നുമുതൽ സത്യമായി ആരും പാപം ആചരിക്കരുത്.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa Adhyaya 124)
Concept: Fear of swift consequence restrains adharma; social order is preserved when sin is decisively checked.
Application: Treat harmful actions as self-destructive; cultivate inner ‘cakra-like’ discernment—pause, cut off impulses, and choose conduct that you would not fear being publicly judged.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stern royal proclamation is issued in a vast assembly hall: a symbolic Sudarśana-cakra appears as a luminous disc above the king’s command, casting a sharp halo that makes wrongdoers tremble. In the foreground, shadowy figures drop weapons and gambling dice, turning toward a path of dharma as the atmosphere shifts from menace to disciplined calm.","primary_figures":["King Vena (as the source of the command)","Sudarśana-cakra (symbolic, divine apparition)","Citizens (repentant figures)","Royal herald/scribe"],"setting":"Ancient royal sabhā with carved pillars, banners, and a raised throne; outside, a city street where people abandon sinful acts.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance with dramatic chiaroscuro","color_palette":["obsidian black","burnished gold","vermilion red","smoky indigo","ivory white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a regal court scene with the king on a jewel-studded throne, a radiant Sudarśana-cakra hovering like a golden mandala above, heavy gold leaf embellishment on crown and ornaments, rich vermilion and emerald textiles, crisp frontal iconography, citizens below with folded hands, embossed aureoles and temple-like arch framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a refined court pavilion with delicate linework, the king issuing a stern edict, a luminous disc in the sky rendered as a pale gold halo, cool indigo shadows, expressive faces showing fear turning to resolve, distant hills and a riverbank cityscape hinted in the background, lyrical naturalism and soft gradients.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, flat yet vibrant natural pigments, the king in profile with exaggerated expressive eyes, a stylized Sudarśana disc as a concentric mandala, red-yellow-green dominant palette, temple-wall aesthetic with ornamental borders and lotus motifs, citizens depicted in rhythmic rows showing moral transformation.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic Sudarśana as a central lotus-mandala disc, ornate floral borders, deep blue ground with gold highlights, narrative vignettes around the border showing people abandoning sin (dice, weapons, deceit) and taking up charity and worship, intricate patterns and devotional symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","temple bells","low drum (mṛdaṅga) strokes","hushed crowd murmur","sudden silence after the decree"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शिरश्छेदः = शिरः + छेदः (विसर्ग-सन्धि); भवेत्तस्य = भवेत् + तस्य (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि); यथाचक्रैः = यथा + चक्रैः (स्वर-सन्धि); चक्रैर्निकृन्तितः = चक्रैः + निकृन्तितः (विसर्ग→र्); तदाप्रभृति = तदा + प्रभृति (स्वर-सन्धि); नैव = न + एव (स्वर-सन्धि); कोपि = कः + अपि (विसर्ग-लोप)।
FAQs
It teaches deterrence: sinful action (pāpa) leads to severe consequences, so one should refrain from wrongdoing.
The cakra imagery conveys swift, decisive, and unavoidable punishment—like a clean severing—emphasizing the seriousness of pāpa.
No. In this isolated shloka, no named entity appears; identification of the subject and speaker depends on the surrounding verses of Adhyaya 124.