Shloka 5
The Slaying of Devāntaka, Durdharṣa, and Durmukha
धर्मात्प्रचलितः कर्मी कष्टं याति दिवानिशम् । उक्तं वसुं महावीर्यं यमं धर्मैकसाक्षिकम्
dharmātpracalitaḥ karmī kaṣṭaṃ yāti divāniśam | uktaṃ vasuṃ mahāvīryaṃ yamaṃ dharmaikasākṣikam
ധർമ്മത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വഴുതിയ കർമി രാവും പകലും ദുഃഖം അനുഭവിക്കുന്നു. മഹാവീര്യനായ വസു-സ്വരൂപ യമൻ ധർമ്മത്തിന്റെ ഏക സാക്ഷിയെന്ന് പ്രസ്താവിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു.
Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within the chapter)
Concept: Karma divorced from dharma yields continuous suffering; dharma is witnessed and enforced by Yama.
Application: Before acting, test intention and means against dharma (truthfulness, non-harm, duty); cultivate daily self-audit (svadhyaya) to avoid ‘drift’ from righteousness.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A solemn vision of Yama as the dharma-sākṣin: seated on a dark, jewel-inlaid throne, holding a noose and a palm-leaf ledger, while a wavering human figure stands between a bright path of dharma and a shadowed path of adharma. Above, an unseen Vishnu-presence is suggested by a faint lotus-navel motif in the sky, implying cosmic order behind judgment.","primary_figures":["Yama (Dharmaraja)","a karmī (human agent)","Chitragupta (optional, as recorder)"],"setting":"Threshold of Yama’s sabhā—half courtroom, half cosmic crossroads; pillars carved with dharma symbols (lotus, conch, chakra motifs subtly embedded).","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["indigo black","smoky violet","burnished gold","ash white","deep maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Yama as Dharmaraja seated frontally on an ornate throne with heavy gold leaf halos and embossed arch, holding pāśa and danda; Chitragupta with palm-leaf manuscript; a small human figure at the base; rich crimson and emerald textiles, gem-studded ornaments, conch-and-chakra motifs subtly on pillars, high-contrast divine glow.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical yet austere court of Yama under a dark-blue night sky; delicate linework shows a crossroads with one path lit by pale moonlight and the other swallowed by shadow; refined faces, soft gradients, minimal gold, a faint lotus-cloud motif hinting Vishnu’s cosmic order.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, flat natural pigments; Yama with large expressive eyes, crown and ornaments, holding pāśa; stylized pillars with lotus and chakra patterns; warm red-yellow-green palette with deep indigo background, temple-wall aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lotus medallion above suggesting cosmic dharma; below, a stylized sabhā of Yama framed by intricate floral borders and small conch-chakra motifs; deep blue ground with gold detailing, symmetrical composition, ornamental vines and lotuses."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant conch shell","silence between lines","soft drone (tanpura)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धर्मात्प्रचलितः = धर्मात् + प्रचलितः (त् + प् → त्प्). दिवानिशम् is written as a compound-like sequence; padaccheda taken as दिवा + निशम् (adverbial sense).
FAQs
It teaches that abandoning dharma leads to continual suffering; righteous alignment is presented as the safeguard against misery.
Yama is portrayed as the moral adjudicator who observes and evaluates actions in relation to dharma, functioning as its authoritative witness.
Yes. It explicitly links deviation from dharma with ongoing distress, implying that actions contrary to dharma bear painful results.