Shloka 114
The Marks of Merit and the Destinies of Beings
Divine vs Demonic Traits
काकादयः स्वजातौ च तथान्ये च स्वजातिषु । प्रीता भवंति चाप्रीता विद्या तेषां च लक्षणम्
kākādayaḥ svajātau ca tathānye ca svajātiṣu | prītā bhavaṃti cāprītā vidyā teṣāṃ ca lakṣaṇam
กาเป็นต้นย่อมยินดีในพวกเดียวกัน; สัตว์อื่นๆ ก็ยินดีในสกุลของตนเช่นกัน. ความพอใจหรือไม่พอใจของพวกมันนั่นเอง เป็นลักษณะของความรู้ (อันจำกัด) ของมัน
Unspecified (contextual narrator within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa, Adhyaya 76)
Concept: Creatures favor their own kind; their pleasure and displeasure mark the limits and signatures of their understanding—instinctive cognition rather than reflective ethics.
Application: Notice tribalism and reflexive likes/dislikes; practice widening empathy through seva, satsanga, and remembrance of Nārāyaṇa in all beings.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: hasya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lively forest-edge scene where a cluster of crows gathers around a banyan branch, cawing in animated camaraderie, while other animals keep to their own groups nearby. A contemplative sage watches quietly, suggesting the lesson: pleasure and displeasure reveal the contours of limited cognition.","primary_figures":["Crows (kākādayaḥ)","Other animals (deer, monkeys, cattle)","A contemplative sage-observer"],"setting":"Forest margin with banyan tree, scattered grains near a hermitage path, and distant thatched huts","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["ink black","banyan green","dusty brown","sunlit amber","ash grey"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central banyan with crows rendered in stylized form, a sage at the side holding a staff, gold leaf highlights on foliage and halo around the sage, rich earthy reds/greens, ornate border with small bird motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate naturalism—crows on branches, small animals grouped by kind, a quiet sage observing; soft hillside greenery, fine brushwork on feathers, gentle dappled light.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined crows and animals in grouped clusters, stylized banyan leaves, sage with calm expression, flat yet vibrant natural pigment palette and mural symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: decorative bird-and-flower border, central banyan and clustered crows, patterned ground with grains, deep blue/earth tones with gold detailing; the sage placed as a small moral witness in a side panel."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["bird calls (crows)","rustling leaves","soft hand bell","distant cowbells","ambient forest hush"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तथा + अन्ये → तथान्ये; च + अप्रीताः → चाप्रीताः.
FAQs
It observes that beings naturally favor their own group and develop likes and dislikes accordingly, presenting this tendency as a sign of limited, species-bound understanding rather than higher discernment.
Not directly. It functions more as a reflective, ethical-psychological observation within the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa rather than a sectarian or ritual instruction.
The verse can be read as cautioning that reactive preference (attachment and aversion) is a basic, instinct-like trait; cultivating impartiality and discernment is implied as a higher human aim.