Shloka 50
Marks of the Debt-Bound/Enemy Son, Filial Dharma, Detachment, and the Durvāsā–Dharma Episode
यं यं चिंतयते प्राज्ञस्तं तं प्राप्नोति दुर्लभम् । सोमशर्मोवाच । कीदृङ्मूर्तिस्तु धर्मस्य कान्यंगानि च भामिनि
yaṃ yaṃ ciṃtayate prājñastaṃ taṃ prāpnoti durlabham | somaśarmovāca | kīdṛṅmūrtistu dharmasya kānyaṃgāni ca bhāmini
Aquilo que o sábio contempla, isso mesmo ele alcança, ainda que seja difícil de obter. Disse Somaśarmā: «Ó bela senhora, que forma tem o Dharma e quais são os seus membros?»
Somaśarmā
Concept: As one’s contemplation becomes steady, the contemplated goal—however difficult—becomes attainable; inquiry into Dharma’s form follows from purified intention.
Application: Choose a single elevating object of contemplation daily (Viṣṇu-nāma, a dharma-vow, or a virtue) and return to it repeatedly; let questions about ‘what is dharma?’ become actionable habits rather than abstract debate.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a quiet hermitage pavilion, Somaśarmā sits facing Sumanā, his hand raised in a gentle teaching gesture. Between them, a faint, lotus-like aura suggests the subtle ‘form’ of Dharma—more sensed than seen—while palm-leaf manuscripts and a small Viṣṇu-śālagrāma altar hint at Vaiṣṇava orientation.","primary_figures":["Somaśarmā","Sumanā","symbolic presence of Dharma (subtle aura)","small Viṣṇu-śālagrāma on altar"],"setting":"Forest āśrama with kusa-grass seats, tulasī pot near the altar, hanging oil lamp, distant river sound implied though not shown.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","lotus pink","deep indigo","antique gold","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Somaśarmā teaching Sumanā in an āśrama mandapa, gold leaf halo around a subtle lotus-aura symbolizing Dharma, richly ornamented borders, gem-studded oil lamp and śālagrāma altar, warm reds/greens with antique gold relief work.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate hermitage dialogue scene with delicate linework, soft forest greens and cool indigo shadows, refined faces, a small tulasī pot and śālagrāma on a low wooden altar, lyrical stillness and minimal architecture.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, Somaśarmā and Sumanā in stylized āśrama interior, flat yet vibrant natural pigments, prominent expressive eyes, a glowing lotus-aura for Dharma, red-yellow-green palette with traditional mural symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional dialogue framed by ornate floral borders, abundant lotus motifs, a central subtle lotus-aura representing Dharma, small Viṣṇu symbols (śaṅkha-cakra) integrated into the border, deep blues with gold highlights and intricate foliage."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft temple bell","oil-lamp crackle","distant birds","gentle silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्राज्ञस्तं = प्राज्ञः + तम्; सोमशर्मोवाच = सोमशर्मा + उवाच; कीदृङ्मूर्तिः = कीदृक् + मूर्तिः (जश्त्व/संधि-रूप); मूर्तिस्तु = मूर्तिः + तु; कान्यंगानि = कानि + अङ्गानि.
FAQs
It states that sustained contemplation by a wise person leads to attaining the very object contemplated, even if it is rare or difficult—highlighting the formative power of thought and intention.
Somaśarmā is speaking. He asks a woman addressed as “bhāmini” about the form (mūrti) of Dharma and the ‘limbs’ (aṅgas)—i.e., the constituent aspects—of Dharma.
It suggests that one should deliberately cultivate noble contemplation—such as thoughts aligned with dharma—because mental focus tends to shape one’s attainments and character.