Shloka 13
Account of the Ripening of Karma
Childlessness, Offspring, and Remedial Dharma
जले निमग्नं बालं यो दृष्ट्वा या न समुद्धरेत् । इह जन्मन्यपुत्रो वै साऽपुत्री च भवेद्ध्रुवम्
jale nimagnaṃ bālaṃ yo dṛṣṭvā yā na samuddharet | iha janmanyaputro vai sā'putrī ca bhaveddhruvam
ผู้ใดเห็นเด็กจมอยู่ในน้ำแล้วไม่ช่วยกู้ขึ้น ผู้นั้นในชาตินี้แลย่อมเป็นผู้ไร้บุตรชายแน่นอน และสตรีผู้นั้นก็จักไร้บุตรโดยแท้
Unspecified (narratorial injunction within Brahma-khaṇḍa; speaker not explicit from the single verse provided)
Concept: Neglecting to save a drowning child incurs immediate-life karmic consequence—loss of progeny—underscoring ahiṃsā and dayā as obligatory dharma.
Application: Intervene to prevent harm when capable; cultivate readiness to help in emergencies; treat moral duty as immediate, not theoretical.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A child slips beneath churning water near a stone ghat while onlookers freeze in hesitation. One figure steps forward, arms outstretched, capturing the moral fork of the moment—rescue as dharma versus paralysis as adharma—while stormy ripples mirror the karmic warning of the verse.","primary_figures":["drowning child","hesitating onlookers (man and woman)","potential rescuer"],"setting":"riverbank/pond ghat with wet stone steps, overturned clay pot, reeds and floating lotus leaves","lighting_mood":"dramatic overcast","color_palette":["slate gray","river green","mud brown","lotus pink","white foam"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic ghat rescue tableau with embossed gold accents on water highlights and ornaments; central rescuer reaching toward the child, onlookers in expressive poses; rich saturated garments against dark water, ornate border with lotus and conch motifs to frame the moral drama.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tense yet delicate scene at a riverside ghat; fine ripples, subtle expressions of fear and compassion; muted monsoon palette with a single bright garment drawing attention to the rescuer; distant trees and small shrine on the bank.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined figures at a stylized waterbody; swirling patterned waves, large-eyed faces showing alarm; strong red/yellow/green contrasts, with the child and rescuer centered in iconic clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic river scene with lotus clusters and decorative borders; central moral vignette of rescue, peacocks perched on the border; deep blue-green water with gold linework, emphasizing dharma through stylized narrative panels."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["rushing water","urgent shouts (distant)","sudden silence after the warning line","single bell strike"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: जनमन्यपुत्रो = जन्मनि + अपुत्रः; साऽपुत्री = सा + अपुत्री; भवेद्ध्रुवम् = भवेत् + ध्रुवम्
FAQs
It teaches an immediate moral obligation to save a life—specifically, to rescue a child in danger—treating omission of help as a serious adharma.
The verse states a karmic result in this very life: a man becomes sonless, and a woman becomes without offspring.
It focuses on practical conduct (ācāra)—compassionate action and responsibility—rather than a ritual prescription.