Shloka 65
Yayāti’s Summons to Heaven and the Teaching on Old Age, the Five-Element Body, and Self–Body Discernment
सुपुण्यैः सुकृतैश्चान्यैर्जरा नैव प्रधार्यते । पातकैश्च महाराज द्रवते कायमेव सा
supuṇyaiḥ sukṛtaiścānyairjarā naiva pradhāryate | pātakaiśca mahārāja dravate kāyameva sā
แม้ด้วยบุญมากและกุศลกรรมอื่น ๆ ความชราก็มิอาจกักไว้ได้โดยแท้; แต่ด้วยบาปกรรม โอ้มหาราช มันกลับกัดกร่อนจนกายนี้เองร่วงโรยสลาย
Unspecified narrator addressing a king (mahārāja); precise dialogue pair not provided in the excerpt.
Concept: Old age is inevitable and cannot be ‘stopped’ even by merit; yet sin accelerates bodily ruin—therefore avoid pāpa and pursue dharma without expecting bodily permanence.
Application: Do not bargain with dharma for youth; instead practice ethical living, reduce harmful habits, and invest in bhakti practices that remain available even in decline (nāma-japa, smaraṇa).
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king listens as a wise speaker gestures toward two contrasting paths: on one side, a garlanded scale of ‘puṇya’ shining yet unable to halt a withering leaf; on the other, dark smoke labeled ‘pāpa’ corrodes a human silhouette. The body is shown as a clay vessel—time-cracked—while a steady inner lamp suggests the need for spiritual refuge beyond physiology.","primary_figures":["King (mahārāja)","Wise counselor/sage (unnamed in excerpt)","Symbolic figures of Puṇya and Pāpa (allegorical)"],"setting":"Royal court turned into a moral allegory space: pillars, a quiet audience, and symbolic panels depicting decay and ethical consequence.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["royal crimson","antique gold","charcoal black","leaf green fading to brown","ivory"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: king seated on a throne listening to a sage, gold leaf emphasizing the ‘puṇya’ side with bright ornaments, contrasting dark enamel-like tones for ‘pāpa’ side, stylized withering leaf and cracked clay pot motifs, ornate borders, traditional iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate court scene with refined faces, subtle allegorical vignettes in the background—one bright, one shadowed—soft gradients showing a leaf drying, delicate brushwork and restrained palette with poignant realism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, king and counselor in profile, two side-panels—bright puṇya and dark pāpa—using strong vermilion/ochre/green contrasts, temple-wall narrative clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic moral tapestry—central lotus medallion with a small lamp (ātma-jyoti), surrounding borders show bright floral puṇya motifs and dark thorny pāpa motifs, deep blue ground with gold detailing, devotional undertone pointing toward Vishnu as refuge (śaṅkha-cakra motifs subtly placed)."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low mridangam pulse","court ambience hush","single bell strike at ‘pātakaiḥ’ emphasis","wind through pillars"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सुकृतैश्चान्यैः = सुकृतैः + च + अन्यैः; अन्यैर्जरा = अन्यैः + जरा; कायमेव = कायम् + एव.
FAQs
It teaches that aging is not something one can simply “stop” through merit alone; however, sinful actions accelerate bodily decline and suffering.
Puṇya and good deeds are presented as insufficient to “hold back” aging itself, while pāpa is depicted as actively dissolving or wasting away the body.
Avoiding sinful actions is emphasized as crucial for well-being, since wrongdoing is portrayed as directly harming the body and hastening deterioration.