Shloka 15
The Greatness of Prayāga
Merits of Māgha Rites and Northern River Fords
परिभ्रष्टस्तु राजेंद्र समृद्धे जायते कुले । अधःशिरास्तु यो ज्वालामूर्ध्वपादः पिबेन्नरः
paribhraṣṭastu rājeṃdra samṛddhe jāyate kule | adhaḥśirāstu yo jvālāmūrdhvapādaḥ pibennaraḥ
హే రాజేంద్రా! తన స్థితి నుండి చ్యుతుడైనవాడు సమృద్ధమైన కులంలో జన్మించును; కాని తల క్రిందకు, పాదాలు పైకి ఉంచి, జ్వాలనే శిరస్సుగా భావించి త్రాగువాడు ఘోర దుఃఖాన్ని పొందును.
Unspecified (addressing a king: rājendra)
Concept: Deviation from one’s proper dharma can lead to terrifying consequences; even a ‘fall’ may still yield a favorable rebirth if residual merit remains, but grave transgression invites severe suffering.
Application: Use fear as a guardrail: avoid self-harm, intoxication, and reckless vows; keep daily disciplines (satya, ahiṃsā, śauca) so spiritual practice doesn’t invert into harm.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stark moral tableau: on one side, a soul reborn into a prosperous household with lamps and abundance; on the other, a terrifying inverted figure suspended head-down, flames licking around the head as the body contorts in agony. The composition reads like a purāṇic warning mural—two destinies split by dharma.","primary_figures":["king (listener figure, optional)","narrating sage (optional)","soul reborn in prosperity","inverted suffering man with flames"],"setting":"didactic cosmic court backdrop—half earthly palace interior, half infernal void with smoke and embers","lighting_mood":"dramatic chiaroscuro","color_palette":["smoke black","ember orange","ash gray","lamp gold","deep maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: split-panel moral scene—left a prosperous household with oil lamps and auspicious motifs; right an inverted sinner with a flaming aureole of fire around the head, rendered with intense reds and blacks; gold leaf borders, ornate pillars, and inscription-like phalaśruti bands.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined two-register composition—upper register shows a calm wealthy birth scene with delicate textiles; lower register shows the inverted fiery punishment with swirling smoke; cool blues and grays contrasted with controlled vermilion flames, fine linework and expressive faces.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined didactic mural with symmetrical split—prosperity on one side, fiery inversion on the other; strong reds/yellows/greens, stylized flame patterns, large eyes conveying fear and compassion, temple-wall narrative clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical border of lotus and flame motifs; central split scene with ornate floral frames—auspicious lamps and grains on one side, stylized flames and dark clouds on the other; deep indigo ground with gold detailing, narrative cartouche labels."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low drum pulse","crackling fire","sudden conch blast","tense silence","distant wail"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: paribhraṣṭastu→paribhraṣṭaḥ tu; rājeṃdra→rāja-indra (voc.); adhaḥśirāstu→adhaḥ-śirāḥ tu; jvālāmūrdhvapādaḥ→jvālām ūrdhva-pādaḥ; pibennaraḥ→pibet naraḥ.
FAQs
It contrasts outcomes of moral/spiritual deviation: one kind of fall leads to rebirth even in prosperity, while another leads to a terrifying punitive condition depicted through vivid imagery.
Such imagery is characteristic of Purāṇic moral discourse, using stark, bodily metaphors to communicate the severity of certain actions and their painful consequences.
The verse directly addresses a king (“O lord of kings”), but the exact named interlocutors are not provided in the single-verse excerpt.