Shloka 32
Yoga-Sleep, Cosmic Dissolution, and the Lotus of Creation
with Mārkaṇḍeya’s Vision
यत्र सत्यं च सत्वं च क्रिया धर्मो विधीयते । त्रेतायां विकृतिं यांति वर्णा लोभेन संयुताः
yatra satyaṃ ca satvaṃ ca kriyā dharmo vidhīyate | tretāyāṃ vikṛtiṃ yāṃti varṇā lobhena saṃyutāḥ
जिथे सत्य आणि सत्त्व (पवित्रता) नांदते, आणि धर्मयुक्त आचरण व धर्म विधिपूर्वक स्थापन होतो—तरीही त्रेतायुगात लोभाने युक्त होऊन वर्ण विकृत होतात।
Unspecified (narrative voice within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa context; exact speaker not stated in the provided excerpt)
Concept: Even when truth and sattva are ideals, greed can distort social duties and ethical conduct; vigilance is required to preserve dharma.
Application: Audit motives behind work, charity, and status; practice dana without expectation, cultivate contentment, and anchor conduct in devotion rather than gain.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene city of Tretā is split into two halves: one side bathed in clear light where people act with honesty and ritual purity, the other side shaded where golden coins spill from hands and twist into chains around the four varṇas’ emblems. Above, a faint celestial scale tilts as lobha darkens the air, showing dharma’s subtle imbalance.","primary_figures":["Personifications of Satya and Sattva (optional)","Four varṇas as symbolic figures","Lobha (as a golden-shadow demon)"],"setting":"Mythic Tretā-age town with yajña altars, marketplaces, and a dividing veil of light and shadow","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["pale gold","ash white","emerald green","shadow violet","copper"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: split-panel composition—left side a luminous yajña scene with gold leaf flames and serene faces; right side a greed-figure with coin-garlands ensnaring varṇa symbols; heavy gold embellishment, rich reds/greens, ornate jewelry, temple-arch framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical townscape with delicate figures; subtle moral contrast via cool vs warm washes; refined facial features, gentle architecture, and a thin mist dividing satya from lobha.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and symbolic clarity—Satya as a bright figure holding a white lotus, Lobha as a dark-gold figure with exaggerated eyes; patterned costumes, flat color fields, temple-wall aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central motif of a balance scale surrounded by lotus borders; four varṇa emblems arranged like petals; peacocks at corners; deep blue ground with gold and copper detailing, devotional-moral allegory."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft marketplace murmur (distant)","temple bell","tanpura drone","brief silence on 'lobhena'"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dharmaḥ + vidhīyate = dharmo vidhīyate (Visarga to 'o'); varṇāḥ + lobhena = varṇā lobhena (Visarga Lopa).
FAQs
It contrasts the ideal foundations of society—truth, sattva (purity), and dharmic action—with the tendency toward degeneration in the Tretā-yuga when greed influences the varṇas.
Vikṛti indicates a distortion or corruption of the proper order—i.e., a deviation from dharma-driven roles and conduct due to moral decline.
Greed (lobha) undermines dharma: even when principles like truth and purity are known, attachment to gain can deform conduct and social responsibility.