Shloka 50
The Tale of the Five Pretas and the Glory of Puṣkara & the Eastern Sarasvatī
न्यासापहर्ता मित्रध्रुक्शूद्रपाकरतः सदा । विस्रंभघाती कूटस्थः स प्रेतो जायते नरः
nyāsāpahartā mitradhrukśūdrapākarataḥ sadā | visraṃbhaghātī kūṭasthaḥ sa preto jāyate naraḥ
ผู้ใดลักทรัพย์ที่ฝากไว้ ทรยศมิตร หมกมุ่นในการเหยียดหยามศูทรอยู่เสมอ ฆ่าผู้ไว้วางใจตน และดำรงอยู่ในเล่ห์กล ผู้นั้นย่อมบังเกิดเป็นเปรต
Not specified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses).
Concept: Breach of trust, betrayal of friendship, deceit, and cruelty toward the vulnerable corrode one’s subtle body and lead to preta-gati.
Application: Guard entrusted resources; keep confidences; treat dependents and marginalized persons with dignity; make transparency a spiritual discipline.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dim courtyard where a man secretly opens a sealed trust-box while a friend stands unaware in the background; the thief’s face is half-lit, half-shadowed, showing duplicity. Above, a faint astral layer reveals a preta-form mirroring his posture, as if his future state already clings to him.","primary_figures":["a deceitful man (kūṭastha)","a trusting friend","a symbolic preta double"],"setting":"nighttime household courtyard with a locked chest, oil lamp, and narrow alley suggesting secrecy","lighting_mood":"moonlit with sharp chiaroscuro","color_palette":["midnight blue","lamp amber","charcoal black","pale bone white","rust red"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic indoor courtyard scene with gold leaf on the lamp flame and jewelry, the deceitful figure in rich garments, the trusting friend in softer tones, and a translucent preta outlined with subtle gold; ornate borders, deep reds and greens, traditional South Indian architectural pillars.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate nocturne with delicate lines, cool blues and grays, a small warm lamp glow, expressive refined faces, and a faint ghostly overlay behind the thief; detailed textiles and a quiet, tense composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized eyes, strong contrast between lamp-lit yellow and surrounding indigo, the preta as a dark green-gray silhouette; decorative border motifs of serpentine lines to suggest deceit.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical composition—central chest and lamp framed by floral borders, peacocks subdued in darker tones, a shadow-preta at the margin; deep blue ground with gold highlights, moral symbolism rather than realism."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"stern","sound_elements":["soft footsteps","rustle of cloth","distant dog bark","single bell strike","heavy silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: न्यासापहर्ता = न्यास + अपहर्ता (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); मित्रध्रुक्शूद्रपाकरतः = मित्रध्रुक् + शूद्रपाकरतः; शूद्रपाकरतः = शूद्रपाक + रतः; विस्रंभघाती = विस्रंभ + घाती; कूटस्थः = कूट + स्थः
FAQs
It condemns betrayal of trust—stealing entrusted property, harming friends, and deceit—as grave adharma that leads to severe post-death consequences.
It implies a troubled post-death condition—restlessness and lack of peace—presented here as a karmic result of serious moral violations.
Because violating confidence (visraṃbha) is treated as an especially destructive form of harm: it abuses vulnerability and undermines social and moral order.