Shloka 17
Exposition of Sin and Merit
Sumanas Episode: Yama’s Realm and Rebirths
व्याघ्रो भवति दुष्टात्मा रासभीं याति वै पुनः । मार्जार शूकरीं योनिं सर्पयोनिं तथैव च
vyāghro bhavati duṣṭātmā rāsabhīṃ yāti vai punaḥ | mārjāra śūkarīṃ yoniṃ sarpayoniṃ tathaiva ca
ผู้มีจิตชั่วคร้ายย่อมเกิดเป็นเสือโคร่ง; แล้วกลับไปสู่ครรภ์ลาอีกครั้งหนึ่ง ทั้งเกิดเป็นแมว เป็นแม่สุกร และเช่นเดียวกันเกิดเป็นงูด้วย
Unspecified narrator (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa Adhyaya 16)
Concept: Adharma and cruelty/impurity of mind lead to repeated tiryak (animal) births; moral quality shapes embodiment.
Application: Treat actions and intentions as seed; avoid violence, deceit, intoxication, and exploitation; adopt daily sāttvika disciplines (truthfulness, compassion, japa, charity).
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A shadowed karmic vision unfolds: a human silhouette dissolves into successive animal forms—tiger, donkey, cat, sow, serpent—each emerging from a wheel-like mandala of saṁsāra. Above, an unseen divine law is suggested by a faint Sudarśana-chakra motif, implying cosmic order rather than random punishment.","primary_figures":["symbolic human soul (jīva)","tiger","donkey","cat","sow","serpent","subtle Sudarśana-chakra motif"],"setting":"A liminal, otherworldly landscape—misty cremation-ground edge blending into a cosmic void with a faint dharma-scale and saṁsāra wheel.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["indigo black","ash gray","rust red","saffron ochre","pale silver"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a central saṁsāra-chakra medallion with gold leaf haloing the wheel; within concentric rings, the jīva transitions into tiger, donkey, cat, sow, and serpent; rich maroon and emerald borders, gem-studded ornaments on the chakra rim, stylized flames of karma around the perimeter, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate brushwork showing a misty nocturnal grove; a translucent human figure morphs into a tiger then donkey etc. in a flowing sequence; cool blues and grays, lyrical naturalism, refined faces on animals, distant Himalayan silhouettes and a thin crescent moon, subtle moral allegory.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; a circular saṁsāra wheel with five animal panels; the jīva as a small luminous figure moving panel to panel; red/yellow/green palette with dramatic eyes on the tiger and serpent, temple-wall aesthetic with ornamental creepers.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a large lotus-and-vine border framing a central wheel of births; deep blue ground with gold highlights; animals arranged like motifs around a mandala; peacocks in the border as witnesses; intricate floral filigree, Nathdwara-inspired ornamentation, moral tableau rather than pastoral play."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple drum","distant conch shell","wind through dry leaves","brief bell strikes","heavy silence between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तथैव = तथा + एव (सन्धि). ‘मार्जार शूकरीं योनिम्’ पाठे ‘मार्जार-शूकरीं योनिम्’ इति समास/सम्बन्धः अभिप्रेतः; पदच्छेदे ‘मार्जार’ उत्तरपद-सम्बन्धार्थं पूर्वपदवत् गृहीतम्.
FAQs
It teaches that immoral or cruel conduct (duṣṭatva) leads to painful karmic consequences, described as rebirth into lower or suffering-prone animal forms.
It presents a traditional Purāṇic moral framework where certain dispositions lead to degrading rebirths; many commentators treat such lists as both ethical warnings and illustrative depictions of karmic decline.
Cultivate purity of intention and compassionate conduct; the verse warns that a corrupted inner nature can mature into suffering and loss of human opportunity.