Shloka 91
Yayāti’s Summons to Heaven and the Teaching on Old Age, the Five-Element Body, and Self–Body Discernment
सुरते चिंतते नारीं यथा वार्द्धुषिको नरः । तथातथा भवेद्धानिस्तेजसोऽस्य नरेश्वर
surate ciṃtate nārīṃ yathā vārddhuṣiko naraḥ | tathātathā bhaveddhānistejaso'sya nareśvara
ഹേ നരേശ്വരാ! സുരതസമയത്ത് പുരുഷൻ മറ്റൊരു സ്ത്രീയെ ചിന്തിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ, അതനുസരിച്ച് അവന്റെ തേജസ്സിനും ബലത്തിനും ക്ഷയം സംഭവിക്കുന്നു.
Unspecified (addressing a king: nareśvara)
Concept: Infidelity of mind (thinking of another partner) during union causes loss of tejas—vigor and spiritual radiance—undermining dharma and inner power.
Application: Cultivate mental fidelity: reduce fantasy, practice mindful presence, strengthen marital vows, and channel desire into devotion; adopt periodic vrata to retrain attention and restore tejas.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a royal chamber, a king listens as a stern sage points to a fading aura around a man: his golden radiance leaks away like light from a cracked lamp while shadowy thought-forms of another woman hover behind him. The queen sits dignified yet sorrowful, and the scene emphasizes the invisible moral cost—tejas dimming under divided desire.","primary_figures":["a king (nareśvara)","a sage counselor","a householder man (symbolic)","a queen/consort"],"setting":"royal palace interior with carved pillars, oil lamps, and a small shrine niche","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["royal crimson","burnished gold","shadow violet","ivory","deep teal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: palace scene with the sage admonishing the king, heavy gold leaf on crowns, halos, and lamp flames, gem-studded ornaments, the ‘tejas’ aura painted as radiant gold that visibly fades, rich reds and greens, traditional South Indian royal iconography.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined palace interior with delicate patterns, expressive faces showing admonition and shame, subtle depiction of fading aura as pale gold wash, cool shadows and lyrical detailing, elegant textiles and architectural lines.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, frontal figures with intense eyes, dramatic contrast between bright tejas (yellow/gold) and shadowy thought-forms (purple/black), temple-wall narrative clarity, rhythmic lamp motifs.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate border, central lamp symbolizing tejas, shadow motifs as decorative but ominous patterns, deep blues and gold, subtle Vaishnava emblems indicating dharma’s divine witness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp bell strikes","low drum pulse","palace ambience (distant footsteps)","brief silence after key line"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भवेद्धानिः=भवेत्+हानिः; तेजसोऽस्य=तेजसः+अस्य.
FAQs
It teaches that mental distraction by lust—especially thinking of another woman during intimacy—causes a proportional decline of one’s tejas (vital vigor and inner radiance).
Tejas is a traditional marker of vitality, self-mastery, and spiritual potency; the verse links uncontrolled desire and divided attention to the weakening of that inner power.
Even within permitted marital life, the verse urges restraint and mental fidelity, suggesting that inner discipline preserves strength and dignity.