Shloka 85
Narrative of King Pṛthu: Chastising and Milking the Earth
वर्णानामाश्रमाणां यः स्थापकः सर्वलोकधृक् । पार्थिवैश्च महाभागैः पार्थिवत्वमिहेप्सुभिः
varṇānāmāśramāṇāṃ yaḥ sthāpakaḥ sarvalokadhṛk | pārthivaiśca mahābhāgaiḥ pārthivatvamihepsubhiḥ
വർണങ്ങളുടെയും ആശ്രമങ്ങളുടെയും സ്ഥാപകനായി, സർവ്വലോകങ്ങളെയും ധരിക്കുന്നവൻ ആരോ—ഇഹലോകത്തിൽ രാജത്വം ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന ഭാഗ്യവാൻ രാജാക്കളും മഹാപാർത്ഥിവരും അവനെ അന്വേഷിച്ച് ആദരത്തോടെ സേവിക്കണം.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa 29)
Concept: The upholder of varṇa and āśrama—social and spiritual duties—is the support of the world; rulers must seek and honor that principle to govern rightly.
Application: Build life around appropriate duties and stages: integrity in work, family responsibility, learning, and service; leaders should create conditions where education, worship, and ethical livelihoods can flourish.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A symbolic ‘pillar of dharma’ rises at the center, carved with four varṇas and four āśramas as concentric bands, while a noble king approaches with offerings, seeking legitimacy. Sages point toward the pillar, and the Earth beneath appears steady and fertile, implying that social order supports cosmic stability.","primary_figures":["a dharmic king (anonymous)","ṛṣis/ācāryas","personifications of varṇa-āśrama (symbolic figures)"],"setting":"A sacred royal courtyard adjoining an āśrama, with a central dharma-stambha and ritual fire nearby.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["stone gray","saffron","leaf green","copper","sky blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central dharma-stambha with embossed gold leaf patterns, king offering a tray of flowers and lamps, sages blessing him; rich reds and greens, ornate arch, gem-like highlights, traditional iconographic symmetry emphasizing order and stability.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: elegant courtyard with a carved pillar, sages in white, king in muted royal colors; delicate brushwork, cool palette, lyrical trees and distant hills, calm moral clarity in expressions.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold pillar motif with stylized bands, king and sages in profile, ritual fire at side; strong outlines, natural pigments, temple-wall composition with red/yellow/green dominance.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: dharma-stambha centered within a floral mandala border, repeating motifs of householders, students, forest-dwellers, renunciants as decorative vignettes; deep blue ground, gold and white detailing, lotus creepers framing the moral diagram."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"authoritative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["steady mridanga","fire crackle","low bell rhythm","assembly hush"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वर्णानामाश्रमाणां = वर्णानाम् + आश्रमाणाम्; पार्थिवैश्च = पार्थिवैः + च; पार्थिवत्वमिहेप्सुभिः = पार्थिवत्वम् + इह + ईप्सुभिः।
FAQs
It praises the cosmic upholder who establishes varṇa and āśrama and indicates that rulers seeking legitimate sovereignty should honour and seek alignment with that dharmic foundation.
It implies that kingship is not merely political power; it is grounded in upholding dharma—protecting and sustaining the social and spiritual order symbolized by varṇa-āśrama.
The verse uses an epithet rather than a proper name; depending on the chapter’s surrounding narrative, it may refer to a supreme deity or a divinely sanctioned dharmic principle embodied by that deity.