Shloka 16
Prologue to the Suvrata Narrative: Revā (Narmadā) and Vāmana-tīrtha; Greed, Anxiety, and the Ethics of Trust
लोभः पापस्य बीजं हि मोहो मूलं च तस्य हि । असत्यं तस्य वै स्कंधो माया शाखा सुविस्तरा
lobhaḥ pāpasya bījaṃ hi moho mūlaṃ ca tasya hi | asatyaṃ tasya vai skaṃdho māyā śākhā suvistarā
ความโลภเป็นเมล็ดแห่งบาปโดยแท้; ความหลง (โมหะ) เป็นรากของมัน. ความเท็จเป็นลำต้น และมายาเป็นกิ่งก้านที่แผ่กว้างไพศาล
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses to confirm the dialogue speaker).
Concept: Sin grows organically: greed initiates it, delusion roots it, falsehood stabilizes it, and māyā proliferates it.
Application: Audit daily motives: identify lobha-driven choices, pause before acting, and replace with contentment (santoṣa) and truthfulness; reduce exposure to deceptive speech and self-justifying narratives.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A symbolic ‘tree of sin’ rises from cracked earth: a seed labeled lobha sprouts into a dark trunk of asatya, while a vast branching canopy of māyā spreads like smoke. A calm Vaishnava sage points to the tree’s anatomy, while a distant golden lotus with Viṣṇu’s footprint motif glows as the antidote of satya and śraddhā.","primary_figures":["Vaishnava sage (upadeśaka)","Personified Lobha (as a shadowy seed-spirit)","Personified Moha (as tangled roots)"],"setting":"Didactic allegorical grove at the edge of a pilgrimage path; stone markers inscribed with satya/dharma near a small lamp shrine.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled shifting into divine radiance near the lamp shrine","color_palette":["charcoal black","ash gray","deep indigo","lamp-flame amber","lotus pink"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: an allegorical pāpa-vṛkṣa with a dark jeweled trunk labeled ‘asatya’, sprawling gold-leaf māyā branches curling like vines; a serene Vaishnava sage with tilaka gestures in instruction, a small gold-leaf lamp shrine with Viṣṇu pāda symbols at the base; rich reds and greens, ornate borders, gem-studded ornaments, high contrast gold highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical moral allegory in a quiet grove—slender dark tree with tangled roots, delicate inscriptions on stones reading satya/dharma; a gentle-faced sage in white and saffron points while a faint lotus aura appears in the sky; cool palette, fine brushwork, soft hills and a winding path suggesting pilgrimage.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined tree of sin with stylized roots (moha) and branching māyā canopy; the sage with prominent eyes and Vaishnava tilaka stands in teaching mudrā; natural pigment reds/yellows/greens with black outlines, temple-wall symmetry, decorative floral borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central dark tree of māyā contrasted with a luminous lotus mandala bearing Viṣṇu symbols; intricate floral borders, small cows and peacocks at the periphery as dharma’s gentleness; deep blues and gold, lotus motifs dominating, Nathdwara-inspired ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","soft drone (tanpura)","rustling leaves","brief silence after each pāda"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: No major external sandhi beyond standard visarga; pāpasya bījam (अ + ब) unchanged; suvistarā = सु + विस्तरा (prefixal formation, not a samāsa)
FAQs
It traces a chain of moral decline: greed initiates wrongdoing, delusion sustains it at the root, falsehood gives it structure, and deception spreads it outward—warning that inner impulses generate outward harm.
The verse uses a tree metaphor: falsehood is the trunk that stabilizes sin in one’s life, while māyā (deception/illusion) is the branching expansion through which sin multiplies into many forms.
Not explicitly in this shloka; it is primarily an ethical-psychological teaching. In broader Purāṇic context, such teachings support spiritual practice by emphasizing truthfulness and freedom from greed and delusion.