Shloka 21
नाहं क्षमिष्ये बहुना किमुक्तेन शतक्रतो । इत्युक्त्वा प्रययौ विप्रो देवराजोपि तं पुनः
nāhaṃ kṣamiṣye bahunā kimuktena śatakrato | ityuktvā prayayau vipro devarājopi taṃ punaḥ
‘ഞാൻ ക്ഷമിക്കില്ല; അധികം പറയുന്നതിൽ എന്ത് പ്രയോജനം, ഹേ ശതക്രതോ!’ എന്നു പറഞ്ഞ് ആ ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ പോയി; ദേവരാജൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ)യും വീണ്ടും അവന്റെ പിന്നാലെ പോയി।
A brāhmaṇa (vipra) addressing Indra (Śatakratu)
Concept: Words cannot substitute for inner transformation; when an offense is grave, mere pleading may not avert consequences.
Application: Do not rely on status or persuasion after wrongdoing; prevent harm early, and cultivate consistent respect so that apology is not your only tool.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Durvāsā turns away with uncompromising calm, his staff and kamaṇḍalu steady, as if the decision is already written in cosmic law. Indra follows behind, crown lowered, reaching out but not touching—caught between authority and helplessness while the corridor of Svarga stretches like a judgment hall.","primary_figures":["Durvāsā (vipra)","Indra (Śatakratu)","deva-attendants (distant)"],"setting":"A long celestial colonnade opening into cloud-steps; the sage moving toward the horizon, Indra trailing.","lighting_mood":"cool divine light with stern clarity","color_palette":["pale gold","cool turquoise","stone gray","white jasmine","dark saffron"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Durvāsā striding away in the center, haloed yet austere; Indra behind with folded hands, crown tilted downward; gold leaf on pillars and floor borders, but the sage’s path rendered in restrained tones to emphasize renunciation; rich reds/greens in the periphery, gem-studded ornaments on Indra only.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: elegant perspective of a corridor fading into clouds; Durvāsā’s simple garments contrasted with Indra’s ornate attire; delicate emotional restraint on faces, cool palette and refined linework, subtle narrative tension.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic side-by-side figures with strong outlines; Durvāsā’s stern eyes and forward stride; Indra’s humbled posture; limited palette with emphatic red/yellow fields and green accents, temple-wall gravitas.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: patterned colonnade framed by floral borders; Durvāsā’s departing figure repeated in motif-like rhythm to show inevitability; deep blue ground with gold highlights, stylized attendants as decorative fillers."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Darbari","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["footsteps on stone","wind through pillars","distant bell fading","brief silence after the refusal"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: न + अहम् → नाहम्; किम् + उक्तेन → किमुक्तेन; इति + उक्त्वा → इत्युक्त्वा; देवराजः + अपि → देवराजोपि.
FAQs
It highlights the brāhmaṇa’s refusal to forgive despite words, implying that mere speech is insufficient and that accountability or proper atonement is required.
Śatakratu is an epithet of Indra, the king of the gods (Devarāja), often meaning “performer of a hundred sacrifices.”
The verse suggests that wrongdoing cannot be resolved by excessive explanation; sincere rectification must be pursued, and even the powerful should seek reconciliation properly.