Shloka 69
Annadāna and the Obstruction of Viṣṇu-Darśana; Vāmadeva’s Teaching and the Vāsudeva Stotra Prelude
दिष्टं हि प्राक्तनं कर्म तेन दुःखं सुखं लभेत् । तदुल्लंघयितुं राजन्कः समर्थोपि हीश्वरः
diṣṭaṃ hi prāktanaṃ karma tena duḥkhaṃ sukhaṃ labhet | tadullaṃghayituṃ rājankaḥ samarthopi hīśvaraḥ
പൂർവകൃത കർമ്മം തന്നെയാണ് ‘ദിഷ്ടം’; അതിനാലാണ് മനുഷ്യൻ ദുഃഖമോ സുഖമോ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നത്. ഹേ രാജാവേ, ആ വിധിയെ ആരാണ്—എത്ര ശക്തനായാലും—ലംഘിക്കാനാകുക?
Unspecified (context-dependent; verse addressed to a king)
Concept: Happiness and sorrow arise from prior karma (daiva/diṣṭa); none can simply override the ordained law.
Application: Accept outcomes without resentment; focus on present right action, prayer, and disciplined observances rather than trying to control everything.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A contemplative scene where a sage points to a great wheel of time and karma suspended in the air, its spokes labeled ‘sukha’ and ‘duḥkha.’ The king listens with lowered eyes, realizing the limits of worldly power before the cosmic law.","primary_figures":["teaching sage (unnamed)","a king (rājan)","personified Kāla (subtle, shadow-like)"],"setting":"quiet palace veranda opening to a night sky; a symbolic cosmic wheel hovering above a lotus pedestal","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["midnight blue","silver gray","lamp-amber","deep maroon","pale lotus white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: sage instructing a king beneath a large gold-embossed kāla-cakra; heavy gold leaf for the wheel and halos, rich maroon and green garments, ornate palace arch, inscriptions of ‘sukha/duḥkha’ on spokes, devotional gravitas.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: moonlit terrace with delicate shading; a translucent wheel of fate in the sky, soft blues and silvers, the king’s posture humble, the sage calm, minimal ornament, poetic stillness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized cosmic wheel with bold outlines; sage and king in profile, large eyes, flat color fields; dominant indigo background with red/yellow highlights, temple-wall solemnity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central wheel motif framed by lotus borders; integrate subtle shankha-chakra patterns to hint that surrender to Vishnu is the higher resolution; deep blue cloth with gold and white detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["low tanpura","soft bell at cadence","night insects","silence between lines"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तदुल्लंघयितुं = तत् + उल्लङ्घयितुम्; राजन्कः = राजन् + कः; समर्थोपि = समर्थः + अपि; हीश्वरः = हि + ईश्वरः.
FAQs
It emphasizes the force of past (former) karma in producing happiness and sorrow, highlighting that results already set in motion are difficult to override; it does not deny the broader dharmic role of right action going forward.
Even a ruler with great power should recognize limits: outcomes arise from prior causes (karma), so governance should be grounded in humility, dharma, and wise response rather than mere control.
The verse equates “destiny” (diṣṭa) with prior karma, teaching that what appears as fate is the maturation of earlier actions, yielding both pleasure and pain.