Shloka 139
Cosmic Time, Cycles of Creation and Dissolution, and the Varāha Uplift of Earth
अधर्मबीजभूतं तत्तमोलोभसमुद्गतम् । प्रजासु तासु राजेंद्र रागादिक्रमसाधनम्
adharmabījabhūtaṃ tattamolobhasamudgatam | prajāsu tāsu rājeṃdra rāgādikramasādhanam
അധർമ്മത്തിന്റെ വിത്തായ ആ പ്രേരണം തമസ്സിലും ലോഭത്തിലുമാണ് ഉദ്ഭവിക്കുന്നത്; ഹേ രാജേന്ദ്രാ, ആ പ്രജകളിൽ അതുതന്നെ രാഗാദി വികാരങ്ങൾ ക്രമമായി വളരുന്നതിനുള്ള ഉപാധിയാകുന്നു।
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses of Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa 1.3).
Concept: Adharma begins as a subtle seed in tamas and greed; once planted, it unfolds sequentially as attachment and further passions.
Application: Notice the earliest ‘seed’ moments—greedy justification, dullness, or envy—before they harden into attachment; counter with simple disciplines: truthful speech, regulated consumption, and daily remembrance of Nārāyaṇa.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A symbolic court scene: a wise teacher addresses a crowned king while, behind them, a shadowy lotus-seed sprouts into thorny vines labeled ‘lobha’ and ‘rāga’, creeping toward a crowd of subjects. Above, a faint Viṣṇu-emblem (śaṅkha-cakra) glows as the antidote, casting a thin line of light that can cut the vines if grasped.","primary_figures":["a rishi-like teacher","a king (rājendra)","allegorical figures of Tamas and Lobha","crowd of prajā (subjects)"],"setting":"royal sabhā transitioning into an allegorical inner landscape with lotus-seed and creeping vines","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit with encroaching shadow","color_palette":["smoky indigo","ash gray","deep maroon","antique gold","lotus pink"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a seated rishi instructing a jeweled king in a palace hall; behind them an allegorical dark lotus-seed sprouting thorny creepers marked ‘lobha’ and ‘rāga’; heavy gold leaf halos, rich crimson and emerald textiles, gem-studded crowns, śaṅkha-cakra motifs subtly embossed in gold as the protective dharmic light.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate dialogue between sage and king on a terrace; delicate smoky shadows form a creeping vine from a small lotus-seed near the subjects; cool dusk palette, refined faces, lyrical negative space, distant hills suggesting the mind’s landscape.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines; personified Tamas as a dark figure and Lobha as a grasping figure behind the king; the sage points to a small lotus-seed turning into a vine; traditional red-yellow-green pigments, large expressive eyes, temple-wall composition with śaṅkha-cakra symbols.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lotus motif where a dark seed becomes thorny creepers; border of tulasi leaves and lotus buds; in the upper register a small Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa emblem radiates blue-gold light; intricate floral filigree, deep indigo ground, gold highlights, devotional symbolism over narrative realism."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple drum","single bell strikes","hushed court ambience","soft conch in distance"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: adharmabījabhūtaṃ = अधर्म-बीज-भूतम्; tamolobhasamudgatam = तमः-लोभ-समुद्गतम् (तमः + लोभ); rāgādikramasādhanam = राग-आदि-क्रम-साधनम्; rājeṃdra = राजेन्द्र (anusvāra/ṃ for ं).
FAQs
The verse states that adharma takes seed from an impulse arising out of tamas (ignorance/darkness) and lobha (greed).
It presents a progression: from tamas and greed arises a seed of adharma, which then becomes the cause for rāga (attachment) and other related passions to unfold in sequence.
A king should restrain societal and personal decline by checking ignorance and greed, since these generate adharma and then cascade into attachment and further vices among the people.