Shloka 22
Sukalā’s Account: Ikṣvāku and Sudevā; the Boar’s Resolve and the Dharma of Battle
तेषां हि हस्तान्मरणाद्बिभेमि मृतोपि यास्यामि पुनश्च पापम् । दूरं गिरिं पर्वतकंदरं च व्रजामि कांते अपमृत्युभीतः
teṣāṃ hi hastānmaraṇādbibhemi mṛtopi yāsyāmi punaśca pāpam | dūraṃ giriṃ parvatakaṃdaraṃ ca vrajāmi kāṃte apamṛtyubhītaḥ
إني أخاف الموتَ على أيديهم؛ وحتى إن متُّ فسأقع في الإثم من جديد. لذلك يا حبيبتي، خوفًا من موتٍ فجائيّ، سأمضي بعيدًا—إلى الجبل، بل إلى كهوفه.
Unspecified (a male speaker addressing 'kānte'—"O beloved")
Concept: Fear of violent death and fear of accruing further pāpa drive the impulse to renounce conflict and seek distance; the verse dramatizes how bhaya can catalyze a search for safer, more sattvic space.
Application: When threatened by harmful company or cycles of wrongdoing, create distance, seek a ‘cave’ of discipline (satsaṅga, prayer, routine), and choose actions that reduce future regret.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: mountain
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A tense warrior, glancing back in fear, leads his beloved along a narrow mountain path toward a dark cave mouth. Wind whips their garments; distant silhouettes of pursuers blur in the valley haze, while the cave promises both shelter and ominous uncertainty.","primary_figures":["fearful warrior (narrative character)","beloved woman (kānte)"],"setting":"rocky mountain ridge with a yawning cave, sparse pines, scree slopes, distant valley","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["slate gray","indigo night","silver moonlight","pine green","ashen white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a dramatic mountain-cave refuge scene with the warrior and his beloved at the cave threshold, ornate gold-leaf highlights on jewelry and borders, rich maroon and emerald accents on garments, stylized rocks and a luminous moon haloed with gold, traditional South Indian facial features and decorative framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical Himalayan mountainscape with delicate brushwork, cool blues and grays, the couple moving toward a cave amid pine trees, distant misty ridgelines, refined expressions showing fear and resolve, subtle night sky gradations and fine textile patterns.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments depicting the couple at a cave entrance, expressive wide eyes, simplified mountain forms, rhythmic contouring of rocks, deep indigo background with a pale moon, red-yellow-green garment palette with restrained highlights.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative vignette framed by intricate floral borders and lotus motifs, the couple approaching a stylized cave set within decorative hills, deep blue night field with gold accents, peacocks perched on rocks, ornamental textile patterns emphasizing emotion rather than realism."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["night wind","distant footsteps","owl call","low temple bell (far away)","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: हस्तान्मरणाद्बिभेमि = हस्तात् + मरणात् + बिभेमि; मृतोपि = मृतः + अपि; पुनश्च = पुनः + च
FAQs
It suggests a fear that the circumstances around the death (such as violence, coercion, or unresolved wrongdoing) would lead to further karmic fault—either by provoking retaliatory actions, renewed harmful conduct, or an inauspicious end that perpetuates sinful consequences.
Apamṛtyu means an untimely, unnatural, or inauspicious death—one that occurs before the proper span of life or under harmful conditions—often viewed as spiritually perilous in Purāṇic literature.
The verse frames withdrawal as a way to avoid immediate harm and prevent further wrongdoing, emphasizing restraint and risk-avoidance when a situation is likely to escalate into violence or moral transgression.