Shloka 58
Yayāti’s Summons to Heaven and the Teaching on Old Age, the Five-Element Body, and Self–Body Discernment
दृष्टांतो दृश्यते सूत प्रत्यक्षं मर्त्यमंडले । विशेषं नैव पश्यामि पापपुण्यस्य चाधिकम्
dṛṣṭāṃto dṛśyate sūta pratyakṣaṃ martyamaṃḍale | viśeṣaṃ naiva paśyāmi pāpapuṇyasya cādhikam
ହେ ସୂତ! ମର୍ତ୍ୟମଣ୍ଡଳରେ ପ୍ରତ୍ୟକ୍ଷ ଦୃଷ୍ଟାନ୍ତ ଦେଖାଯାଏ; ତଥାପି ପାପ ଓ ପୁଣ୍ୟରେ ଅଧିକ କୌଣସି ବିଶେଷ ଭେଦ ମୁଁ ଦେଖୁନାହିଁ।
An unnamed questioner addressing Sūta (Sūta as the respondent/narrator)
Concept: Karmaphala is not always immediately perceptible; apparent equality of outcomes does not negate the moral law.
Application: Do not judge dharma by short-term outcomes; sustain truthful conduct, charity, and vrata observances even when results are not visible.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A circle of forest-sages sits around Sūta in a quiet āśrama, one questioner leaning forward with furrowed brow, gesturing toward the distant village where the righteous and the wicked seem to share the same fortunes. Palm-leaf manuscripts lie open, suggesting that the answer must come from śāstra rather than mere sight.","primary_figures":["Sūta","unnamed questioner","assembled ṛṣis"],"setting":"Naimiṣāraṇya-style hermitage with kusa-grass seats, sacrificial fire, and manuscript bundles; a faint glimpse of a bustling human settlement beyond the trees","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","leaf green","smoke gray","ochre","deep maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Sūta seated on a raised wooden āsana under a stylized banyan, gold leaf halo around his head, the questioner in reverent posture yet visibly puzzled; rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments on sages’ armlets, a small yajña-kuṇḍa with gold-highlighted flames, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate hermitage dialogue with delicate brushwork; cool greens and soft browns, refined faces, a winding forest path leading to a tiny village in the distance to symbolize ‘pratyakṣa’; lyrical naturalism with birds perched on branches and a quiet stream nearby.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, warm earth pigments; Sūta and sages with characteristic large eyes, stylized trees and a central sacred fire; red/yellow/green palette with rhythmic ornamental borders evoking temple-wall aesthetics.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a devotional discourse scene framed by intricate floral borders and lotus motifs; deep blues and gold accents; sages arranged in a circular mandala-like composition around a central lamp, suggesting the search for unseen dharma."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["rustling leaves","soft temple bell","crackling sacrificial fire","distant birds"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नैव → न + एव; चाधिकम् → च + अधिकम्; अन्यत्र स्पष्टपदानि।
FAQs
The verse voices a common ethical doubt: in everyday life, the fruits of actions are not always immediately visible, so the superiority of merit over sin may not appear “directly” (pratyakṣa).
It implies that karmic results may be delayed, subtle, or unfold across time; therefore, judging dharma only by immediate worldly outcomes can be misleading.
It sets up the need for scriptural explanation and discernment: one should not abandon moral action merely because immediate worldly evidence seems ambiguous.