Shloka 172
Karma, Non-Violence, Tīrtha & Gaṅgā Merit, Vaiṣṇava Protection, Śālagrāma Worship, and Ekādaśī as Deliverance
दीर्घायुषो धनाढ्याश्च भवंतीह पुनःपुनः । किमत्र बहुनोक्तेन यांत्यधर्मेण दुर्गतिम्
dīrghāyuṣo dhanāḍhyāśca bhavaṃtīha punaḥpunaḥ | kimatra bahunoktena yāṃtyadharmeṇa durgatim
เขาอาจเกิดซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่าเป็นผู้มีอายุยืนและมั่งคั่งในโลกนี้; แต่จะกล่าวมากไปไย? ด้วยอธรรมเขาย่อมไปสู่จุดจบอันอัปยศยากไร้
Unspecified (narrative voice within the Svarga-khaṇḍa discourse)
Concept: Worldly prosperity and long life can recur, yet adharma inevitably culminates in a wretched end; prosperity is not proof of righteousness.
Application: Do not equate success with virtue; examine means, not just results; set ethical constraints on earning and spending; use prosperity for dharmic purposes (support, charity, worship).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A wealthy figure sits amid overflowing coins and long-life symbols (a garland of years, a thriving household), yet behind him a shadow-road descends into a barren ravine labeled ‘durgati’. The composition contrasts glittering prosperity with a subtle moral eclipse, showing that adharma corrodes destiny despite repeated worldly success.","primary_figures":["prosperous householder or merchant","shadowy personification of Adharma","distant figure of Dharma as a luminous path"],"setting":"opulent courtyard fading into a stark wasteland beyond an unseen threshold","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["burnished gold","emerald green","ivory","smoke gray","crimson warning-red"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: opulent scene with gold leaf on coins and ornaments, but a darkened lower panel showing the descent to durgati; ornate frame; symbolic contrast—Dharma as a small radiant emblem (śaṅkha-cakra) guiding upward, Adharma as a shadow at the edge.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined depiction of prosperity with delicate textiles and architecture, while the background transitions into a pale, desolate landscape; subtle psychological expression of unease; cool shadows creeping into warm wealth-tones.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized prosperous figure with bold outlines, a looming dark Adharma silhouette, and a bright Dharma path rendered in yellow/green; strong narrative clarity with traditional mural symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical panel—wealth motifs framed by floral borders, but the lower border transforms into thorny vines; a small lotus path rises toward a Vishnu-symbol at the top, deep blues and gold highlighting the moral axis."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft mridangam","low drone","brief pause after 'kimatra bahunoktena'"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धनाढ्याश्च = धनाढ्याः + च; भवंतीह = भवन्ति + इह; बहुनोक्तेन = बहुना + उक्तेन; यांत्यधर्मेण = यान्ति + अधर्मेण.
FAQs
No. It acknowledges that people may repeatedly attain long life and wealth, but it warns that such gains, when rooted in adharma, culminate in durgati—a ruinous outcome.
Worldly prosperity is not a reliable sign of righteousness; lasting welfare depends on dharma, because adharma ultimately leads to a degraded or painful destination.
It reflects the Purāṇic view that karmic results may ripen over time: temporary success can occur, but unrighteous action eventually produces adverse consequences.