Shloka 3
The Account of King Yayāti: Kāmasaras, Rati’s Tears, and the Birth of Aśrubindumatī
within the Mātā–Pitṛ Tīrtha Narrative
तदंतरं तु संप्राप्य संचचार जरा नृपम् । कामेनापि नृपश्रेष्ठ इंद्रकार्यं कृतं हितम्
tadaṃtaraṃ tu saṃprāpya saṃcacāra jarā nṛpam | kāmenāpi nṛpaśreṣṭha iṃdrakāryaṃ kṛtaṃ hitam
ครั้นกาลล่วงไปไม่นาน ชราก็เข้ามาใกล้พระราชาและเริ่มแผ่ซ่านอยู่ภายในพระองค์ ถึงกระนั้น โอ้พระราชาผู้ประเสริฐ แม้โดยอาศัยกามเทพ พระอินทร์ก็ได้บรรลุภารกิจอันเป็นประโยชน์แล้ว
Unspecified narrator (context not provided in the input excerpt)
Concept: Jarā (aging) is an inescapable force; when desire is weaponized (Kāma), even a king’s resolve can be bent—hence vigilance and restraint are essential.
Application: Contemplate impermanence to weaken compulsions; establish daily disciplines (japa, sat-saṅga, regulated senses) before aging and habit harden patterns.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Time itself is personified: a pale, veiled figure of Jarā slips into the king’s aura like a slow-moving shadow, while Kāma—subtle, flower-bowed—hovers at the edge, unseen by the court. Above, Indra watches from a clouded balcony of heaven, his expression calculating, as if a chess move has landed.","primary_figures":["Jarā (personified old age)","Kāma (god of desire)","Indra","the king (son of Nahusha)"],"setting":"split-scene composition: palace interior below, celestial cloud-terrace above; invisible forces threading between realms","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["pale ivory","storm-cloud blue","wilted rose","silver gray","dull gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dual-register panel—lower palace with king, upper Svarga with Indra on a jeweled throne; Jarā as a faint, ash-toned figure entering the king’s halo; Kāma with sugarcane bow and flower arrows; heavy gold leaf on Indra’s ornaments and cloud borders, rich reds/greens framing the moral drama.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical two-tier composition; Indra in soft cloud bands, below the king in a quiet chamber; Jarā rendered as a translucent gray silhouette; Kāma delicately painted with floral bow; cool blues and gentle shading, refined expressions conveying inevitability.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic figures with bold outlines; Indra in the upper band, Jarā as a stylized ash figure with drooping posture, Kāma with bright red accents; flat decorative clouds, temple-wall symmetry, intense gaze and narrative clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic cosmic textile—Indra amid lotus-cloud motifs, Kāma with floral garlands, Jarā as a fading garland of dried leaves encircling the king; deep blue ground with gold highlights, ornate borders of time-wheel and lotus vines."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["distant thunder","conch shell (faint)","wind through palace curtains","low drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tadaṃtaraṃ = तद् + अन्तरम् (द् + अ → द); kāmenāpi = कामेन + अपि; iṃdrakāryaṃ = इन्द्रकार्यं (अनुस्वार-लेखन)।
FAQs
The verse explicitly mentions Jarā (old age/decay), Kāma (desire personified, often the deity of love), and Indra (king of the gods), in connection with a king and the completion of Indra’s objective.
It highlights a turning point where old age comes upon the king, while simultaneously indicating that Indra’s intended purpose—described as beneficial—has been successfully carried out, even through the agency of Kāma.
It suggests the inevitability of aging (Jarā) even for rulers, and implies that larger cosmic or divine aims (Indra’s kārya) may unfold through human emotions and forces like desire (Kāma), reinforcing the theme that worldly conditions and divine purposes can intersect.