Shloka 43
The Yayāti Episode
with the Glory of Mātā–Pitṛ Tīrtha
मत्प्रजानाशकाः सर्वे वंशजास्ते शृणुष्व हि । यावच्चंद्रश्च सूर्यश्च पृथ्वी नक्षत्रतारकाः
matprajānāśakāḥ sarve vaṃśajāste śṛṇuṣva hi | yāvaccaṃdraśca sūryaśca pṛthvī nakṣatratārakāḥ
मत्प्रजानाशकाः सर्वे तव वंशजाः शृणुष्व हि। यावच्चन्द्रश्च सूर्यश्च पृथ्वी नक्षत्रतारकाः तावत्॥
Unspecified (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa 2.78)
Concept: Adharma against subjects (prajā) rebounds as a long-lasting curse; kingship is accountable to cosmic order.
Application: Treat dependents (family, employees, citizens) as a sacred trust; avoid exploiting those under one’s protection.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stern royal figure pronounces an imprecation, his raised hand silhouetted against a vast sky where the sun and moon share the horizon and constellations glitter like witnesses. Below, the earth is rendered as a sacred mandala—fields, villages, and palace roofs—suggesting ‘subjects’ under protection now threatened by adharma.","primary_figures":["a cursing king or sage (unspecified speaker)","symbolic Sun (Sūrya)","symbolic Moon (Candra)"],"setting":"Palace courtyard opening into a cosmic vista; the boundary between royal space and the universe dissolves into a Purāṇic tableau.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["burnished gold","indigo night","ash grey","crimson vermilion","pearl white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a wrathful royal/sage figure in frontal three-quarter pose, right hand raised in a curse-mudrā, behind him a split cosmic sky with a gold-leaf sun disc and a silvered moon, star constellations embossed; ornate palace pillars, rich red and emerald textiles, gem-studded ornaments, thick gold borders emphasizing the permanence of the curse.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical palace terrace opening to a deep indigo sky, delicate constellations, sun and moon on opposite arcs; the speaker’s expression controlled yet severe, fine linework on garments, soft washes for earth and distant hills, subtle symbolism of villages as tiny motifs under the cosmic canopy.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, the speaker with large expressive eyes and angular brows, sun and moon as iconic roundels, constellations patterned like temple-ceiling motifs; warm ochres, reds, and greens with a sacred mural flatness, emphasizing dharma’s cosmic surveillance.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: cosmic sky filled with stylized star-florets and lotus motifs; sun and moon as ornate medallions; the central figure framed by floral borders and temple arches, deep blues and gold, with miniature earth-scenes (villages/fields) arranged like narrative panels to show ‘prajā’ under threat."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple drum","conch shell","wind through palace corridors","brief silence after the curse"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मत्प्रजानाशकाः = मत् + प्रजा + नाशकाः; वंशजास्ते = वंशजाः + ते; यावच्चंद्रश्च = यावत् + चन्द्रः + च; सूर्यश्च = सूर्यः + च; नक्षत्रतारकाः = नक्षत्र + तारकाः (द्वन्द्व).
FAQs
It declares—addressing someone as “your descendants”—that their lineage will harm or destroy the speaker’s subjects, and frames this as lasting for an extremely long, cosmic duration.
These are standard markers of cosmic permanence in Sanskrit literature, used to express “for as long as the world endures,” i.e., an effectively timeless or epoch-spanning duration.
In tone it functions like a curse or dire prophecy: it warns that a lineage will become oppressive toward the populace, implying a negative karmic and social outcome tied to misuse of power.