Shloka 35
The Account and Merit of Śivadūtī
with the Nāga-tīrtha at Puṣkara
शापो यो भवता दत्तो मनुष्यो जनमेजयः । नाशं नः सर्पसत्रेण उल्बणं च करिष्यति
śāpo yo bhavatā datto manuṣyo janamejayaḥ | nāśaṃ naḥ sarpasatreṇa ulbaṇaṃ ca kariṣyati
शापो यो भवता दत्तो मनुष्यो जनमेजयः । सर्पसत्रेण नः नाशं करिष्यत्युल्बणं तथा ॥
Unspecified (context required to confirm the exact speaker within the dialogue)
Concept: A curse and retaliatory ritual can spiral into collective catastrophe; unchecked vengeance weaponizes sacred acts.
Application: Interrupt cycles of revenge early; do not use institutions, law, or ‘righteous’ tools as cover for personal wrath.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A colossal sacrificial arena blazes with towering flames as mantras pull serpents through the air like iron to a magnet. In the foreground, nāgas recoil in terror, their jeweled hoods dimmed by ash, while the shadow of King Janamejaya looms beside the altar—vengeance dressed as ritual.","primary_figures":["King Janamejaya","Nāgas","Vedic priests (ṛtviks)","(Foreshadowed) Āstīka as a distant approaching figure"],"setting":"A vast yajña-śālā with blackened pillars, ladles of ghee, mantra-inscribed posts, and a roaring fire-pit; crowds at the perimeter.","lighting_mood":"firelit dramatic","color_palette":["flame orange","charcoal black","blood red","brass gold","ashen gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: grand sacrificial hall with embossed gold flames and ornate altar; Janamejaya in royal attire with heavy jewelry; priests chanting with ladles; nāgas being drawn toward the fire in swirling arcs; intense reds/oranges with gold leaf highlights, intricate border patterns like ritual textiles.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: dynamic diagonal composition—fire pit at center, serpents arcing through smoky air; delicate facial expressions of fear; muted earth tones with sharp vermilion flames; fine detailing of ritual implements and patterned carpets.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized yajña scene with bold outlines, rhythmic flame shapes, priests in symmetrical rows; Janamejaya frontal with commanding posture; nāgas rendered as patterned coils; dominant reds/yellows/black for a temple-wall intensity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: transform the yajña arena into a decorative mandala-like layout; repeating flame and lotus motifs; serpents as ornamental borders being drawn inward; deep indigo background with gold and red highlights, intricate floral frames."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["crackling fire","urgent drum (mridang) strokes","chanting chorus","conch shell blasts","rising wind"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: No major external sandhi beyond standard visarga; sarpasatreṇa is a tatpuruṣa compound (sarpa+satra).
FAQs
Janamejaya is a famed Kuru king known from Itihāsa tradition, especially for conducting the sarpa-satra (snake-sacrifice) connected with the death of Parīkṣit.
Sarpa-satra is the ritual sacrifice undertaken to destroy serpents (nāgas), remembered as a large-scale act of vengeance with far-reaching consequences.
It underscores how a curse or hostile intention can set off chains of retaliation and collective suffering, warning against actions that escalate into disproportionate harm.