Shloka 20
Sukalā’s Episode: Padmāvatī’s Crisis, the Speaking Embryo (Kālanemi), and Sudevā’s Begging at Śivaśarmā’s House
जातमात्रा म्रियंतेऽन्ये कति ते यौवनान्विताः । बाला वृद्धाश्च तरुणा आयुषोवशतां गताः
jātamātrā mriyaṃte'nye kati te yauvanānvitāḥ | bālā vṛddhāśca taruṇā āyuṣovaśatāṃ gatāḥ
کچھ تو پیدا ہوتے ہی مر جاتے ہیں؛ جوانی تک پہنچنے والے کتنے ہی کم ہیں۔ بچے، بوڑھے اور جوان—سب عمر (وقت) کے قبضے میں بہا لیے جاتے ہیں۔
Unknown (context not provided; likely within the Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue frame typical of Bhūmi-khaṇḍa)
Concept: Human life is precarious; few reach youth, and all ages are seized by time—therefore one should not delay dharma and devotion.
Application: Practice ‘now’ spirituality: daily nāma-japa, charity, restraint, and remembrance of Viṣṇu; do not postpone reconciliation, service, or vrata observances to an uncertain future.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A procession of human life-stages—infant, child, youth, elder—walks along a narrow path while a vast, shadowed figure of Kāla looms like a tide, gently but irresistibly drawing them toward a horizon. Above, a calm Viṣṇu-like radiance suggests the only stable refuge beyond time’s sweep.","primary_figures":["infant","child","youth","elder","personified Kāla (Time)","distant divine radiance (Viṣṇu)"],"setting":"symbolic landscape: a single path across an earthly plain toward a misty threshold","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["stormy charcoal","pale ash-white","saffron glow","sapphire blue","muted earth-brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: allegorical life-stages in a row, Kāla as a grand dark figure with gold-edged contours; a small radiant Viṣṇu aura at the top center with gold leaf halo, ornate borders, rich reds and greens, dramatic contrast between mortality and divinity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate figures of different ages on a winding path, misty mountains/horizon; Kāla suggested as a long shadow rather than a monster, cool palette with a soft sapphire divine glow, refined expressions of poignancy.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic Kāla figure with stylized eyes, bands of ages below; strong black outlines, earthy reds/yellows/greens, temple-wall gravity, a luminous blue aura indicating Viṣṇu’s shelter.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a central blue divine aura framed by lotus borders; below, life-stages as small narrative vignettes, swirling floral motifs like time’s current, deep indigo and gold detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["deep mridangam pulse","single conch call","wind over open ground","brief bell strike at cadence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: म्रियंतेऽन्ये = म्रियन्ते + अन्ये; आयुषोवशतां = आयुषः + वशताम्.
FAQs
It teaches the inevitability of death and the fragility of human life—many die before reaching youth, and all ages are ultimately overpowered by time.
By stressing life’s uncertainty, it urges timely practice of dharma—right conduct, restraint, and purposeful spiritual effort—without procrastination.
It promotes spiritual urgency (saṃvega): recognizing impermanence as motivation to live meaningfully and pursue lasting aims rather than temporary pleasures.