Shloka 24
Vena’s Fall into Adharma and the Prelude to Pṛthu’s Birth
समादृतस्त्वया धर्मः कृतश्चापि नराधिप । त्रेतायुगस्य कर्मापि द्वापरस्य तथा नहि
samādṛtastvayā dharmaḥ kṛtaścāpi narādhipa | tretāyugasya karmāpi dvāparasya tathā nahi
اے نرادھپ! تم نے دھرم کو یَتھا یوگّیہ عزت دی اور اس پر عمل بھی کیا؛ تم نے تریتا یُگ کے یَجْن و کرم بھی ادا کیے—مگر دوآپَر یُگ کی طرح اسی انداز سے نہیں۔
Unspecified (contextual narrator/sage addressing a king; exact speaker not stated in the provided excerpt)
Concept: Dharma and its rites are honored according to the standards of a given yuga; one must discern what is appropriate rather than merely imitate another age.
Application: Practice your duties with sincerity while adapting forms to your legitimate stage, capacity, and scriptural guidance; avoid nostalgia-driven or performative religiosity.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage addresses a crowned king in a quiet hermitage court, holding palm-leaf manuscripts that symbolize śāstra. Behind them, a subtle cosmic backdrop shows the wheel of the four yugas—Tretā and Dvāpara marked by fading ritual fires—suggesting dharma’s changing forms across time.","primary_figures":["a venerable ṛṣi narrator","a listening king (narādhipa)","symbolic yuga-cakra (personified Time)"],"setting":"forest āśrama with yajña-vedī, deer, and a distant riverbank; a faint celestial mandala indicating yuga cycles","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","saffron ochre","leaf green","smoke gray","antique gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a serene sage instructing a jeweled king seated on a low throne in an āśrama pavilion; yuga-cakra halo behind them with gold leaf radiance, rich vermilion and emerald textiles, ornate crowns and necklaces, palm-leaf śāstra in the sage’s hand, delicate yajña fire at the side, heavy gold embossing on borders and halos.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate hermitage dialogue between sage and king under a flowering tree; cool greens and soft browns, refined faces, thin ink lines; in the sky a subtle circular yuga-wheel with small vignettes of Tretā and Dvāpara rites; lyrical river curve and distant hills.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold-outlined sage and king in frontal three-quarter pose, large expressive eyes; yuga-cakra as a mandala behind, natural pigment palette with dominant reds/yellows/greens; temple-wall aesthetic with stylized flora and a small yajña-vedī motif.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central medallion of a yuga-cakra framed by lotus borders; at the lower register a sage instructs a king; intricate floral vines, peacocks at corners, deep indigo background with gold detailing; Vaishnava symbols (śaṅkha-cakra) subtly woven into the border to imply Viṣṇu’s governance of time."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["rustling leaves","soft temple bell","low yajña crackle","distant flowing water"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: समादृतस्त्वया = समादृतः + त्वया (विसर्ग-लोप); कृतश्चापि = कृतः + च + अपि (विसर्ग-लोप, चापि); कर्मापि = कर्म + अपि (अ + अ → आ).
FAQs
It highlights yuga-dharma: dharma is to be honored in every age, but the specific religious acts (karma/rites) appropriate to one yuga are not identical to those of another.
To emphasize that ritual and religious practice is time-contextual in Purāṇic thought—what is prescribed as effective or proper in one yuga may differ in method or emphasis in another.
A king should uphold dharma with discernment—supporting righteous conduct while aligning public and personal religious practice with the appropriate standards of the time and tradition.