Shloka 35
Yayāti Episode: Indra’s Anxiety, the Messenger Motif, and a Discourse on Time (Kāla) and Karma
परिभावकरः कालो यत्रकुत्रापि तिष्ठतः । नरं करोति दातारं याचितारं च वै पुनः
paribhāvakaraḥ kālo yatrakutrāpi tiṣṭhataḥ | naraṃ karoti dātāraṃ yācitāraṃ ca vai punaḥ
กาลเวลาอันก่อความอัปยศและความผันกลับ ไม่ว่าดำรงอยู่ ณ ที่ใด ย่อมทำให้มนุษย์เวียนวนเป็นทั้งผู้ให้และเป็นผู้ขอครั้งแล้วครั้งเล่า
Unspecified (narrative voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa, Adhyaya 81 context)
Concept: Time causes reversals—today’s giver may become tomorrow’s beggar—so practice humility and steady virtue.
Application: Give without pride; save and share; treat those in need with respect, remembering roles can reverse; keep a daily offering practice (naivedya/dāna) as spiritual steadiness.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A diptych-like scene shows the same man in two moments: on one side he offers gold and grain to supplicants from a high seat; on the other, under a turning wheel of Time, he stands with a begging bowl, head bowed yet dignified. The wheel’s rotation visually links the two, teaching humility and compassion.","primary_figures":["a man/king in prosperity","the same man in poverty","personified Kāla as a subtle wheel motif","beggars and donors (mirrored)"],"setting":"city street near a palace gate transitioning into a modest roadside shrine area, connected by a symbolic kāla-cakra","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["ochre","deep maroon","lamp gold","dusty teal","ivory"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: split-panel composition with ornate borders—left: richly dressed patron giving alms, right: same figure in simple cloth receiving alms; a gold-leaf kāla-cakra above connecting both; gem-studded ornaments on the prosperous side, subdued yet luminous tones on the humble side, traditional South Indian decorative architecture.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: narrative diptych with delicate human expressions—pride softened into humility; fine textile patterns, gentle urban backdrop, a subtle wheel motif in the sky; cool yet warm-balanced palette, refined linework and lyrical storytelling.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and symbolic clarity—two stances of the same figure, giver and beggar; prominent circular kāla emblem overhead; strong reds/yellows/greens, stylized faces with large eyes, temple-wall symmetry and ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral border framing a moral allegory; central kāla wheel with two vignettes on either side—dāna and yācana; deep blues and maroons with gold highlights, intricate patterns on garments and offerings."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft handbell","murmur of a crowd fading","coin clink (subtle)","evening lamp crackle"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यत्रकुत्रापि = यत्र + कुत्र + अपि (समुच्चय/अनिश्चितार्थ); अन्यत्र स्पष्टपदानि।
FAQs
It teaches the impermanence of worldly status: time can reverse roles so that the same person becomes both a benefactor and a supplicant.
By highlighting role-reversal, it encourages humility in giving and compassion toward those who ask, since circumstances can change for anyone.
No. This shloka is a general reflection on kāla (time) and human fortunes rather than a deity- or tīrtha-specific statement.