Shloka 27
The Marks of Merit and the Destinies of Beings
Divine vs Demonic Traits
ते यक्षा दुर्गतिस्थाश्च परार्थे भारवाहकाः । प्रेतानां लक्षणं यद्वा सर्वलोकविगर्हितं
te yakṣā durgatisthāśca parārthe bhāravāhakāḥ | pretānāṃ lakṣaṇaṃ yadvā sarvalokavigarhitaṃ
وہ یکش بدگتی میں پڑے ہوئے دوسروں کے کام کے لیے بوجھ اٹھانے والے بن جاتے ہیں۔ یہی پریتوں کی نشانی ہے—اور یہ سب جہانوں میں مذموم ہے۔
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses to confirm the dialogue pair).
Concept: Self-centered hoarding and adharma can ripen into a preta-like condition—servitude, burden-bearing, and universal contempt.
Application: Cultivate generosity and service while alive; perform śrāddha/charity for ancestors; avoid exploiting others so one does not become ‘parārthe bhāravāhaka’ (a carrier for others’ ends).
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A once-wealthy Yakṣa now appears gaunt and gray, bent under an enormous palanquin load, trudging along a bleak road while crowds avert their eyes in disgust. Above, faint ghostly forms (pretas) hover like smoke, illustrating the ‘mark of the preta’ and the shame seen by all worlds.","primary_figures":["Yakṣa turned burden-bearer","preta-forms (restless spirits)","onlookers representing ‘all worlds’","a moralizing sage/teacher (optional, pointing)"],"setting":"desolate crossroads leading toward a shadowy nether path; distant city gate where people recoil","lighting_mood":"overcast, ashen, oppressive","color_palette":["dust gray","charcoal black","pale bone","rust brown","dull saffron"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central figure of a bent Yakṣa burden-bearer with stylized ornaments now tarnished; gold leaf used sparingly to show lost splendor; surrounding figures in courtly attire turning away; ornate border with moral emblems (scales of karma).","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a long winding path with a small, hunched carrier figure; delicate depiction of onlookers’ expressions of contempt; cool subdued tones, misty hills suggesting ‘dur-gati’ distance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: dramatic posture of the burden-bearer, bold outlines, simplified preta silhouettes above; earthy reds and blacks with yellow highlights; temple-wall didactic composition like a moral panel.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical layout—center shows the burden-bearer; border medallions show acts of dāna and Vishnu-sevā as the contrasting remedy; deep indigo background with muted gold and floral motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"grave","sound_elements":["wind over dry ground","distant drum (mridanga) like a warning","chain/wood creak of a heavy load","crowd murmurs fading into silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दुर्गतिस्थाः + च → दुर्गतिस्थाश्च; यद् + वा → यद्वा; सर्वलोक + विगर्हितम् → सर्वलोकविगर्हितम् (समास)
FAQs
It describes certain Yakṣas as being in a “durgati” (fallen or miserable state), compelled to carry burdens for others—presented as a degraded consequence.
The verse treats forced, humiliating servitude—being made a burden-bearer—as a sign associated with the preta-state, i.e., an unhappy post-death condition.
It frames such conduct or destiny as universally blameworthy, reinforcing a moral caution: actions leading to degradation and social/spiritual censure should be avoided.