Shloka 55
Yayāti Episode: Indra’s Anxiety, the Messenger Motif, and a Discourse on Time (Kāla) and Karma
शेते सह शयानेन पुरा कर्म यथाकृतम् । उपतिष्ठति तिष्ठंतं गच्छंतमनुगच्छति
śete saha śayānena purā karma yathākṛtam | upatiṣṭhati tiṣṭhaṃtaṃ gacchaṃtamanugacchati
Apabila seseorang berbaring, karmanya turut berbaring; apabila dia bangkit, karma turut bangkit; apabila dia berdiri, karma berdiri dekat; dan apabila dia berjalan, karma mengikutinya—demikianlah karma sebagaimana telah dilakukan dahulu.
Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within the Adhyāya context)
Concept: Karma accompanies a person in all states—rest, movement, and stillness—exactly as previously performed.
Application: Use daily transitions (waking, meals, sleep) as checkpoints for ethical reflection and Vishnu remembrance; keep vows small but consistent (satya, ahiṁsā, japa).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A single householder is shown in a triptych-like composition: lying on a mat, standing at the doorway, and walking along a lane. Behind him in each panel stands the same subtle figure—‘Karma’—mirroring his posture, emphasizing inseparable accompaniment.","primary_figures":["householder (symbolic)","personified Karma (shadow-companion)"],"setting":"simple village home with a threshold lamp, a courtyard tulasi-vedi hinted but not central, and a narrow path leading outward","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit transitioning to soft morning","color_palette":["lamp gold","earth brown","cotton white","forest green","charcoal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: three-scene narrative panel of a householder lying, standing, and walking, with a subtle karmic companion behind him in each; gold leaf on the lamp flame and border, rich reds/greens, ornate frame, traditional iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical domestic scenes with delicate interiors and courtyards; the karmic companion rendered as a faint silhouette; cool pastel palette, refined linework, gentle emotional restraint.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, flattened domestic architecture, repeated figure poses; karmic companion as darker color-block; strong reds/yellows/greens, mural-like panel divisions.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: patterned borders with vines and lotuses; central repeated householder motif in three poses; karmic companion as mirrored negative-space figure; deep blue ground with gold detailing and floral filigree."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft tanpura drone","night insects fading to birdsong","single bell at dawn","quiet footsteps"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yathākṛtam = yathā + kṛtam; gacchaṃtamanugacchati = gacchantam + anugacchati.
FAQs
It teaches that karma—one’s past actions and their consequences—remains inseparable, accompanying a person in every state: resting, standing, and moving.
It emphasizes personal responsibility: karma is “yathākṛtam” (as performed), indicating that outcomes correspond to one’s own prior deeds.
Since actions ‘follow’ one everywhere, the verse encourages mindful, dharmic conduct—choosing deeds whose consequences one would be willing to carry continually.