Shloka 31
The Legend of Hemakuṇḍala: Charity, Decline of the Sons, and Yama’s Judgment
राजतो लोकतो भीतौ स्वपुरान्निःसृतौ तदा । चक्रतुर्वनवासं तौ सर्वेषामुपपीडितौ
rājato lokato bhītau svapurānniḥsṛtau tadā | cakraturvanavāsaṃ tau sarveṣāmupapīḍitau
तदा राजतो लोकतश्च भीतौ तौ स्वपुरान्निःसृतौ; सर्वैः पीडितौ तौ वनवासं चक्रतुः।
Narrator (contextual speaker not specified in the provided excerpt; commonly within the Pulastya–Bhīṣma frame in Svargakhaṇḍa)
Concept: Adharma breeds fear and social expulsion; one who harms society loses refuge among both ruler and people.
Application: Avoid actions that erode trust; when wrongdoing accumulates, even ordinary relationships become sources of fear—seek timely repentance, restraint, and dharmic livelihood.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two disgraced men slip out of a walled town at dusk, glancing back at torch-bearing townsfolk and the distant silhouette of the king’s palace. Their hurried footprints lead into a darkening forest path where thorny shrubs and looming sal trees swallow the last light, foreshadowing karmic retribution.","primary_figures":["two exiles (hunters)","angry townspeople (distant)","city guards (silhouettes)"],"setting":"city gate opening into a dense forest edge; abandoned road with scattered leaves and dust","lighting_mood":"moonlit with fading twilight","color_palette":["indigo night","smoky gray","rust brown","torch amber","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a dramatic departure scene at the city gate—two fearful exiles with simple garments and bows, behind them a stylized palace and angry crowd; foreground forest with ornate foliage patterns; gold leaf highlights on torches, palace finials, and border motifs; rich maroons, emerald greens, and deep blues with gem-like accents.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate dusk landscape with a small city on a hill and two figures descending into a shadowed forest path; cool indigo and pine-green palette, fine linework for trees and distant architecture, expressive but restrained faces showing fear and shame; lyrical atmosphere with a thin crescent moon.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined figures at a gateway, wide expressive eyes conveying fear; stylized forest with rhythmic leaf patterns; warm torchlight against deep blue background; traditional red-yellow-green pigments with black contouring and ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative panel of two figures leaving a town toward a forest, framed by intricate floral borders and lotus motifs; deep blue ground with gold detailing; peacocks perched on a gate arch; decorative vines and patterned textiles emphasizing moral allegory rather than realism."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Darbari","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["distant crowd murmur","rustling leaves","night insects","soft drum pulse","fading footsteps"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्वपुरान्निःसृतौ = स्वपुरात् + निःसृतौ (त् + न → न्न); चक्रतुर्वनवासम् = चक्रतुः + वनवासम् (विसर्ग-लोप/संयोग)
FAQs
It describes two individuals who, fearing both royal punishment and public hostility, leave their city and take up forest exile due to being oppressed by everyone.
The verse highlights how social and political pressure can force displacement, implicitly raising questions about just governance, public judgment, and the dharmic treatment of vulnerable persons.
Purāṇas often present both state power (rāja) and collective opinion (loka) as forces that can uphold or distort dharma; the pairing underscores that suffering can come from institutions as well as society at large.