Shloka 27
The Legend of Hemakuṇḍala: Charity, Decline of the Sons, and Yama’s Judgment
नार्चितो भूतभृद्विष्णुः सर्वपापप्रणाशनः । उभयोरेव तद्द्रव्यमचिरेण क्षयं ययौ
nārcito bhūtabhṛdviṣṇuḥ sarvapāpapraṇāśanaḥ | ubhayoreva taddravyamacireṇa kṣayaṃ yayau
സകലഭൂതങ്ങളെയും ധരിക്കുന്നതും സർവ്വപാപനാശകനുമായ വിഷ്ണുവിനെ ആരാധിക്കാതിരുന്നതിനാൽ, ഇരുപക്ഷത്തിന്റെയും ധനം അതിവേഗം ക്ഷയിച്ചു।
Unspecified (narrative voice within Svarga-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Neglect of Viṣṇu-worship leads to rapid erosion of auspiciousness and stability, even in worldly wealth.
Application: Keep a daily act of Viṣṇu-sevā (nāma-japa, lamp, naivedya, or simple vandana) before major financial decisions; treat wealth as stewardship under dharma.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A once-prosperous household is shown with emptied granaries and overturned coin-chests, while a small neglected Viṣṇu shrine in the corner gathers dust. Two anxious figures stare at their dwindling possessions as an unseen divine law seems to withdraw its radiance from the home.","primary_figures":["Viṣṇu (as unseen presiding presence or small neglected icon)","two householders (the ‘both parties’)"],"setting":"Urban courtyard house with a neglected domestic altar, empty storage jars, and fading auspicious symbols on the doorway.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit fading into shadow","color_palette":["ash gray","muted ochre","tarnished gold","indigo shadow","smoke white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a domestic shrine of Viṣṇu with dulled gold leaf halo, the icon slightly off-center and unattended; foreground shows broken bangles, empty grain pots, and a toppled coin box; rich maroon and deep green borders, ornate but somber, with selective gold leaf emphasizing the contrast between divine splendor and human neglect.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate interior scene of a hill-town house, two figures in simple garments looking at empty vessels; a small Viṣṇu image on a shelf with a withered garland; cool dusk tones, fine linework, expressive eyes, and sparse composition conveying loss.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined figures with elongated eyes; a small Viṣṇu icon in the background niche, lamp nearly extinguished; earthy reds and yellows with deep green shadows; symbolic motifs of fading lotus and cracked pot to indicate kṣaya.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a narrative panel where the central lotus motif is dimmed; in a corner, a small Viṣṇu shrine without tulasī leaves; ornate floral borders in deep blue and antique gold, with peacocks subdued and cows absent to signal withdrawal of auspiciousness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant conch (faint)","indoor silence","soft wind"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nārcito = na arcitaḥ; bhūtabhṛdviṣṇuḥ = bhūta-bhṛt-viṣṇuḥ; ubhayoreva = ubhayor eva; taddravyam = tad-dravyam
FAQs
It teaches that neglecting devotion to Viṣṇu—described as the sustainer of beings and destroyer of sins—leads to the swift loss of prosperity.
The verse refers to two involved sides in the surrounding narrative (e.g., two householders, claimants, or parties to a dispute); the specific identities are determined by the immediate context of Adhyaya 30.
It links worship (arcana) with moral and practical outcomes, implying that gratitude, reverence, and alignment with dharma through devotion sustain well-being, while disregard invites decline.