Shloka 4
The Crushing of the Traipuras
Gaṇeśa’s Battle with Tripura’s Son
कृतं कर्ममहत्पापं श्रुतं नो जनकेन हि । पापकर्मरतं दुष्टं ज्ञात्वा ज्ञानबलेन च
kṛtaṃ karmamahatpāpaṃ śrutaṃ no janakena hi | pāpakarmarataṃ duṣṭaṃ jñātvā jñānabalena ca
మేము మా తండ్రి నుండి నిజంగా విన్నాము— ఒక మహాపాపకర్మ జరిగింది; మరియు వివేకబలంతో అతడు దుష్టుడు, పాపకర్మలలో ఆసక్తుడని తెలిసి…
Unspecified in provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses)
Concept: Sin is recognized through śruti (heard testimony) and viveka (discernment); knowledge-strength (jñāna-bala) is invoked to identify habitual wrongdoing.
Application: Use both trusted counsel and personal discernment to evaluate character; do not normalize repeated harmful behavior—name it clearly and choose dharmic distance.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A small council of warriors stands in tense discussion, one figure gesturing as if recounting what was ‘heard from our father,’ while another closes his eyes in discernment, weighing the moral truth. In the background, a dim silhouette of the ‘wicked one’ appears as a shadow-form, suggesting habitual sin rather than a single act.","primary_figures":["speaking counselor (unspecified)","listening companion(s)","shadowy figure representing the wicked person"],"setting":"edge of a battlefield-camp with a low fire, scrolls or memory tokens, and watchful stillness","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["charcoal gray","firelight orange","earth brown","olive green","pale ash"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a moral council scene with figures in ornate attire, one narrating ‘we heard from our father,’ another in contemplative pose signifying jñāna-bala, gold leaf accents on the firelight and borders, a shadowy demon-like silhouette in the background as allegory of pāpa-rati, rich reds and greens with embossed ornamentation.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate campfire dialogue with delicate brushwork, subtle facial expressions of discernment, muted earth tones, a faint translucent shadow-figure behind to symbolize wickedness, lyrical trees and quiet sky, refined composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized council figures with expressive eyes, central fire motif, symbolic dark silhouette of the wicked one, strong red-yellow-green palette with black accents, temple-wall narrative framing.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative panel of a counsel circle near a small fire, decorative border of vines and lotuses, deep indigo ground with gold highlights, symbolic shadow figure rendered as a patterned silhouette, intricate floral motifs emphasizing moral reflection."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["crackling fire","night birds","soft murmurs","long pauses","distant wind"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कर्ममहत्पापं = कर्म महत् पापम्; पापकर्मरतं = पापकर्मरतम् (समास); ज्ञानबलेन = ज्ञान-बल-ेन (समास).
FAQs
It stresses moral discernment: recognizing a person’s conduct as sinful and wicked (pāpa-karma-rata, duṣṭa) through the strength of knowledge (jñāna-bala), implying accountability and the need for wise judgment.
Although located in the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa, the verse itself is primarily ethical and narrative—describing awareness of a grave wrongdoing and the discernment used to judge it.
The excerpt alone does not identify the speaker or the target of the accusation. The surrounding verses in Adhyaya 74 are needed to reliably name the speaker and the person described as pāpa-karma-rata and duṣṭa.