Shloka 8
Yayāti’s Summons to Heaven and the Teaching on Old Age, the Five-Element Body, and Self–Body Discernment
ययातिः सत्यसंपन्नः प्रजा धर्मेण पालयेत् । स्वयमेव प्रपश्येत्स प्रजाकर्माणि तान्यपि
yayātiḥ satyasaṃpannaḥ prajā dharmeṇa pālayet | svayameva prapaśyetsa prajākarmāṇi tānyapi
พระเจ้ายยาติผู้ประกอบด้วยสัจจะ พึงปกครองและอภิบาลประชาด้วยธรรมะ; และพระองค์เองพึงทอดพระเนตรการกระทำของประชาโดยตรงด้วย
Unspecified (narratorial/teaching context within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa; exact dialogue speaker not provided in the input)
Concept: Rulership becomes dharmic when grounded in satya and direct, accountable oversight of public conduct.
Application: Lead by integrity; verify realities firsthand; create systems where responsibility is visible and ethical conduct is encouraged rather than merely proclaimed.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"King Yayāti sits in a modest yet regal sabhā, listening to petitions while scribes record judgments. Beyond the hall, he walks among marketplaces and fields in simple attire, observing daily life so that dharma is not merely decreed but witnessed and protected.","primary_figures":["King Yayāti","ministers (amatyas)","citizens","scribes"],"setting":"royal court opening into a bustling city street and agrarian outskirts, symbolizing direct oversight","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["burnished gold","sandalwood beige","deep maroon","indigo shadow","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: King Yayāti enthroned in a pillared sabhā with gold leaf halos and ornate archways, rich reds and greens, gem-studded crown and armlets; attendants hold palm-leaf records; a secondary vignette shows the king walking among subjects, all rendered with traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry and luminous gold embellishment.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Yayāti in refined profile within a palace veranda overlooking a lively bazaar; delicate brushwork, cool slate and indigo accents, lyrical trees and distant hills; expressive yet restrained faces; fine textile patterns on the king’s shawl and the citizens’ garments.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Bold black outlines and natural pigments; Yayāti with large stylized eyes and elaborate jewelry, seated beneath a temple-like canopy; background bands show the king inspecting fields and streets; dominant red, yellow, and green palette with rhythmic ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: A dharma-themed court of Yayāti framed by lotus and creeper borders; peacocks and floral motifs fill the margins; deep blues and gold; the king’s vigilant walk among subjects depicted in narrative panels like a katha cloth, with intricate textile detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells (distant)","soft court murmurs","palm-leaf rustle","city ambience"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्वयमेव = स्वयम् + एव; प्रपश्येत्स = प्रपश्येत् + सः; तान्यपि = तानि + अपि
FAQs
It teaches rāja-dharma: a ruler should protect and administer society through dharma (justice, duty, moral law) and be personally committed to truthfulness.
It recommends direct oversight—personally seeing the people’s conduct—so governance is not merely delegated and the ruler remains accountable and well-informed.
Truthfulness and dharma are presented as the foundation of legitimate authority, along with active responsibility for the welfare and conduct of one’s subjects.