Shloka 24
The Birth of King Pṛthu: Vena’s Fall, the Sages’ Churning, and Earth’s Surrender
वेदाचारमयं धर्मं परित्यज्य नराधिपः । अन्ववर्तत पापेन मदमत्सरमोहितः
vedācāramayaṃ dharmaṃ parityajya narādhipaḥ | anvavartata pāpena madamatsaramohitaḥ
ویدی آچار پر قائم دھرم کو چھوڑ کر وہ نرادھپتی گناہ کے راستے پر چل پڑا؛ غرور، حسد اور فتنۂ دل میں مبتلا ہو کر۔
Narrator (contextual, not explicitly identifiable from the single verse)
Concept: When leadership abandons Veda-rooted conduct, pride and envy become the inner causes of adharma and collective suffering.
Application: Treat pride, jealousy, and infatuation as early warning signs; re-anchor daily routine in scriptural study, honest livelihood, and simple worship (nāma-japa, offering food) before habits harden into adharma.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A once-ordered royal court dims as the king turns away from a Vedic fire-altar. Shadowy personifications of mada (pride), matsara (envy), and moha (delusion) coil around his throne while neglected brāhmaṇas and extinguishing lamps signal dharma’s retreat.","primary_figures":["a king (narādhipa)","court brāhmaṇas","personifications of mada, matsara, moha (as subtle shadow-forms)"],"setting":"palace hall adjoining a yajña-śālā with a fading sacred fire, scattered kuśa grass, and unopened Veda manuscripts","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit fading into ominous dusk","color_palette":["smoky umber","ashen gray","deep maroon","tarnished gold","indigo shadow"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a South Indian royal court beside a yajña-śālā; the king turns his face away from the agni-kuṇḍa, while brāhmaṇas hold closed palm-leaf Vedas; gold leaf halos on the sacred fire and ornaments, rich reds/greens, gem-studded jewelry; subtle dark aura forms of pride and envy behind the throne; ornate pillars and archways.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate court scene with lyrical restraint; the king seated near a quiet fire-altar, brāhmaṇas in white with manuscripts; cool twilight palette, refined faces, thin ink lines; distant trees and a pale sky suggesting moral decline.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, stylized king with large expressive eyes, fading agni in a square kuṇḍa; symbolic serpentine shadows labeled as mada/matsara/moha motifs; red-yellow-green pigments, temple-wall composition with decorative borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical composition—central empty lotus pedestal where dharma should sit, with a dimming lamp and scattered tulasī leaves at the border; the king at one side turning away from a small altar; intricate floral borders, deep blues and gold, peacocks subdued rather than celebratory."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","fading fire crackle","distant conch (muted)","heavy silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अन्ववर्तत = anu + avartata (anv- before vowel); वेदाचारमयं = veda-ācāra-mayam; मदमत्सरमोहितः = mada + matsara + mohitaḥ (compound).
FAQs
It refers to dharma shaped by Vedic ācāra—right conduct, disciplined practice, and socially and spiritually sanctioned norms rooted in the Vedic tradition.
It warns that when a ruler abandons principled, tradition-grounded ethics, inner vices like pride (mada), envy (matsara), and delusion (moha) drive governance toward wrongdoing and moral collapse.
The verse presents pride and envy as intoxicating mental states that cloud discernment; from that clouding (moha), the person becomes susceptible to sinful choices and sustained unethical behavior.