Shloka 193
Merit of Causeways and Crossings, Temple Construction Rewards, and the Rudrākṣa Mahātmya
सिध्यंति तस्य वै सर्वे भाग्ययुक्तस्य षण्मुख । मातृपितृ स्वसृ भ्रातृ गुरून्वाथ निहत्य च
sidhyaṃti tasya vai sarve bhāgyayuktasya ṣaṇmukha | mātṛpitṛ svasṛ bhrātṛ gurūnvātha nihatya ca
ହେ ଷଣ୍ମୁଖ! ସେହି ଭାଗ୍ୟବାନଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ସବୁ କିଛି ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ସିଦ୍ଧ ହୁଏ—ମାତା, ପିତା, ଭଉଣୀ, ଭାଇ ଓ ଗୁରୁମାନଙ୍କୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ହତ୍ୟା କରିଥିଲେ ସୁଦ୍ଧା।
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (addressed to Ṣaṇmukha/Skanda, suggesting a dialogue involving Skanda).
Concept: The text uses extreme transgression (guru-hatyā, mātṛ-pitṛ-hatyā) to assert the claimed power of the practice/object—suggesting a doctrine of overwhelming purificatory potency, though it sits in tension with dharma-śāstra ethics.
Application: Read as rhetorical magnitude, not moral license: avoid harm; if burdened by grave guilt, seek genuine atonement—confession, restraint, service, and sustained devotion—rather than relying on mechanical merit claims.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Skanda, six-faced and radiant, listens with stern intensity as a sage recites a terrifyingly powerful promise; behind them, shadowy silhouettes of ‘mahā-pātaka’ appear like smoke-forms dissolving in a sudden burst of purifying light. The scene balances moral dread with the awe of a force that claims to overturn even the darkest karmic knots.","primary_figures":["Ṣaṇmukha/Skanda","teaching sage (ṛṣi)","personified pāpa-forms (allegorical shadows)"],"setting":"A liminal grove near a sacrificial altar—half in darkness, half in divine radiance—suggesting the boundary between sin and purification.","lighting_mood":"dramatic chiaroscuro with divine radiance","color_palette":["storm-cloud gray","vermillion","electric gold","ash white","deep teal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Skanda with six faces and jeweled crown stands beside a seated sage; gold leaf radiance erupts behind them, while dark pāpa-figures crumble at the edges; rich reds/greens, ornate arch, embossed halos emphasizing the overwhelming ‘siddhi’ claim.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a twilight grove with delicate trees; Skanda’s calm yet intense gaze contrasts with faint smoky silhouettes dissolving into pale light; cool blues and teals, refined facial features, minimal but precise ornamentation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; Skanda’s six faces stylized; allegorical sin-forms as dark curling motifs being cut by a bright circular halo; strong red/yellow/green palette, temple-wall border patterns.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic composition—central radiant deity-listener (Skanda) with lotus motifs; around the border, small vignettes of dark forms dissolving into floral patterns, suggesting purification; deep blues, gold detailing, intricate borders."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","low drum (mridangam)","temple bells","sudden silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सिध्यंति→सिध्यन्ति (अनुस्वार-लोप/लेखनभेद); गुरून्वाथ→गुरून् वा अथ (न्+व sandhi); श्लोके ऋकारान्त-शब्दाः (मातृ, पितृ, स्वसृ, भ्रातृ) सूचीवत् द्वितीयार्थे प्रयुक्ताः।
FAQs
No. The verse describes a disturbing possibility—worldly success can still occur for someone “fortunate,” even after grave wrongdoing—highlighting the difference between material success and moral righteousness (dharma).
Ṣaṇmukha (“six-faced”) is a common epithet of Skanda/Kārttikeya. The verse is directly addressing him, indicating a narrative or instructional dialogue involving Skanda.
External outcomes (success, accomplishment) are not reliable indicators of virtue. The verse underscores that prosperity can accompany even severe adharma, so ethical judgment must be grounded in dharma rather than results.