Shloka 57
Yayāti’s Summons to Heaven and the Teaching on Old Age, the Five-Element Body, and Self–Body Discernment
को विशेषो हि धर्मज्ञ भूमौ कायं परित्यजेत् । पापपुण्यप्रभावाद्वै कायस्य पतनं भवेत्
ko viśeṣo hi dharmajña bhūmau kāyaṃ parityajet | pāpapuṇyaprabhāvādvai kāyasya patanaṃ bhavet
О знающий дхарму, в чём особое различие — оставить тело на земле? Воистину, под влиянием греха и заслуги совершается падение тела, то есть смерть.
Unspecified (context needed; likely within the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa dialogue framework, often Pulastya addressing Bhīṣma)
Concept: There is no special distinction merely in dying on earth; death (the body’s fall) occurs due to the force of sin and merit (karmic momentum).
Application: Avoid superstition that mere place of death guarantees liberation; instead cultivate steady devotion, ethical conduct, and vrata discipline so the inner state and karmic ledger are purified.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dharma-knower addresses a seeker with calm precision, pointing not to any sacred ground but to an invisible wheel of karma turning behind them. The earth beneath is ordinary—dust, grass, stone—while above, faint scales of light and shadow suggest pāpa and puṇya as the true forces precipitating the body’s fall.","primary_figures":["a dharma-jña sage or narrator figure (symbolic)","a questioning noble/seeker (symbolic)"],"setting":"Plain earthly landscape with minimal markers; a subtle cosmic wheel or balance motif in the sky to indicate karmic law.","lighting_mood":"clear daylight with austere calm","color_palette":["sand beige","sage green","sky blue","white","smoke grey"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Didactic scene with a sage-like figure instructing a noble; behind them a stylized chakra of karma rendered in gold leaf; restrained earthly ground tones contrasted with luminous gold; ornate borders and traditional iconographic posture emphasizing dharma.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Sparse, contemplative landscape; teacher and student in quiet dialogue; a faint circular motif in the sky like a translucent wheel; delicate brushwork, cool palette, refined serenity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Bold outlines; simplified earth band; prominent circular ‘karma-chakra’ motif above; strong reds/yellows/greens moderated to convey śānta rasa; formal teaching gesture (vyākhyāna mudrā).","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Minimalist central dialogue framed by intricate floral borders; a golden wheel motif overhead; lotus medallions at corners; deep blue border with gold detailing, earthy center tones to stress ‘ordinary earth’ as the stage of karma."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft drone","light bell","open-air silence","distant birds"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कः + विशेषः → को विशेषः; पापपुण्यप्रभावात् + वै → पापपुण्यप्रभावाद्वै (त्→द्); अन्यत्र स्पष्टपदानि।
FAQs
No. It questions any inherent “special advantage” in merely dying on the earth; it emphasizes that outcomes are governed by the force of merit and sin (puṇya–pāpa).
It is a common Sanskrit idiom for death—the body “falls” when life departs—presented here as occurring due to karmic influence.
It redirects attention from external circumstances to moral causality: one’s actions (merit and sin) are central in shaping life’s end and its consequences.