Shloka 120
Account of Various Sacred Tīrthas
Pilgrimage Merits and Prayāga Supremacy
यथा ययातिर्धर्मात्मा यथा राजा पुरूरवाः । तथा त्वं कुरुशार्दूल स्वेन धर्मेण शोभसे
yathā yayātirdharmātmā yathā rājā purūravāḥ | tathā tvaṃ kuruśārdūla svena dharmeṇa śobhase
ดุจยยาติผู้ทรงธรรม และดุจพระราชาปุรูรวัสผู้เลื่องลือ ฉันนั้นแล ท่าน—โอ้พยัคฆ์แห่งวงศ์กุรุ—ย่อมรุ่งเรืองด้วยธรรมของตน
Unspecified (context needed to identify the dialogue speaker precisely)
Concept: True splendor arises from one’s own dharma (svadharma) practiced with integrity, as seen in famed kings.
Application: Do your role conscientiously—family, work, leadership—without envy of others’ paths; let character be the source of reputation.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A Kuru prince stands in a palace courtyard, listening as a sage points to painted panels of Yayāti and Purūravas—ancestral mirrors of righteousness. The prince’s posture is humble yet firm, as if his own dharma forms a radiant armor around him.","primary_figures":["Kuru hero (kuruśārdūla)","teaching sage","Yayāti (depicted in mural/panel)","Purūravas (depicted in mural/panel)"],"setting":"royal sabhā or palace courtyard with carved pillars, dharma-śāstra palm-leaf bundles, and ancestral murals","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["royal maroon","antique gold","lapis blue","ivory","smoked bronze"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: the Kuru hero receiving counsel in a jeweled court, gold leaf on pillars and halos, rich reds/greens, inset narrative panels of Yayāti and Purūravas with ornate crowns, traditional iconographic symmetry and embossed ornamentation.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate court scene with delicate architecture, cool palette, refined facial features, narrative panels like miniature paintings within the painting, soft shading and lyrical restraint.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, warm pigments, the sage gesturing toward stylized ancestral figures, rhythmic pillar patterns, large expressive eyes, mural-like flat perspective.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: dharma-themed court framed by lotus and floral borders, central figure of the Kuru hero with symbolic lotus footprints, surrounding medallions of Yayāti and Purūravas, deep blues and gold accents."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft mridang-like pulse","lamp flame crackle","distant conch from palace shrine","quiet hall ambience"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yayātir dharmātmā → yayātiḥ dharmātmā; rāmaś ca → rāmaḥ ca (in next verse); svadharmeṇārjitāmurvīm → sva-dharmeṇa arjitām urvīm (later verse).
FAQs
They are exemplary ancient kings invoked as standards of royal virtue and renown; the verse compares the addressed person’s dharma to theirs.
Literally “tiger among the Kurus,” it is an honorific for a heroic or outstanding person belonging to the Kuru lineage.
True splendor and reputation arise from one’s own adherence to dharma—personal righteous conduct is presented as the source of lasting glory.