Shloka 26
Account of the Ripening of Karma
Childlessness, Offspring, and Remedial Dharma
व्यास उवाच । राजन्शृणुष्व यत्पृष्टमपुत्रो येन कर्मणा । तवेयं राज्ञी चापुत्री चैकपत्नीव्रतस्तथा
vyāsa uvāca | rājanśṛṇuṣva yatpṛṣṭamaputro yena karmaṇā | taveyaṃ rājñī cāputrī caikapatnīvratastathā
وِیاس نے فرمایا: “اے راجن، جو تم نے پوچھا ہے وہ سنو—کس عمل کے ذریعے بے اولاد کو بیٹا حاصل ہوتا ہے۔ تمہاری یہ رانی بھی بے اولاد ہے اور ایک پتی ورت (ایک ہی شوہر کی وفاداری) میں ثابت قدم ہے۔”
Vyāsa
Concept: A problem of lineage is approached through dharmic counsel and prescribed action (karma/vrata), not despair.
Application: When facing lack or grief, seek scriptural guidance, adopt disciplined vows, and align household life with fidelity and devotion rather than anxiety.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a lamp-lit royal sabhā, Vyāsa—matted hair, serene eyes—raises a hand in instruction while the king sits with folded palms, worry softening into hope. Behind a gauzy curtain, the childless queen listens, her single-husband vow symbolized by a lone lamp and a single garland.","primary_figures":["Vyāsa","the King (Rājā)","the Queen (Rājñī)","court sages/attendants"],"setting":"royal court with carved pillars, palm-leaf manuscripts, a small altar with a conch and lotus vessel","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["deep maroon","antique gold","sandalwood beige","emerald green","smoky indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Vyāsa seated on a low āsana in a royal sabhā, right hand in teaching gesture, king in añjali-mudrā, queen partially veiled behind a pillar; heavy gold leaf halos, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments on the king, ornate arch framing the scene, lotus motifs on the floor border.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate court interior with delicate linework; Vyāsa calm and luminous, king attentive; soft textiles, muted jewel tones, refined faces, a small manuscript stand and water pot; subtle emotional tension conveyed through posture and gaze.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, warm ochres and greens; Vyāsa with pronounced eyes and stylized beard, king and queen in traditional attire; symmetrical pillars, lamp flames, and a lotus medallion backdrop suggesting dharmic instruction.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional court tableau framed by floral borders and lotus creepers; incorporate a central lotus emblem hinting at Padma Purāṇa identity, peacocks at the border, deep blues and gold accents, stylized lamps and conch motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","low court ambience","palm-leaf rustle","gentle tanpura drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: राजन्शृणुष्व = राजन् + शृणुष्व (न् + श → ञ्श्); यत्पृष्टम् = यत् + पृष्टम् (त् + प्); पृष्टमपुत्रो = पृष्टम् + अपुत्रः (म् + अ); चापुत्री = च + अपुत्री; चैकपत्नीव्रतः = च + एकपत्नीव्रतः.
FAQs
It introduces the king’s query about the appropriate action or religious means (karma) for overcoming childlessness, specifically the lack of a son/child.
It indicates the queen’s strict marital fidelity to one husband—an ethical vow presented as a virtue within the household (gṛhastha) ideal.
The verse frames counsel as dharmic guidance: legitimate desires (like progeny) should be pursued through right conduct and prescribed means rather than through adharma.