Shloka 27
The Greatness of the Gaṇḍakī River and the Śālagrāma Stone
तस्मात्सर्वात्मना त्याज्यं स्त्रिया स्पर्शः शिलोपरि । कुर्वती याति नरकं यावदिंद्राश्चतुर्दश
tasmātsarvātmanā tyājyaṃ striyā sparśaḥ śilopari | kurvatī yāti narakaṃ yāvadiṃdrāścaturdaśa
لذلك ينبغي للمرأة أن تتجنّب بكلّ كيانها اللمس على سطح الحجر؛ فإن فعلت ذلك مضت إلى الجحيم ما دامت أربعةَ عشرَةَ إندرا قائمة.
Unspecified narrator (contextual speaker not provided in the excerpt)
Concept: Transgressing a prescribed taboo in sacred worship is said to yield prolonged naraka suffering, measured by cosmic epochs.
Application: Avoid fear-based religiosity: if your tradition teaches strict rules, follow them carefully; if you err, seek prāyaścitta and return to sincere devotion rather than despair.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stark didactic panel: a sacred black stone altar with the Śālagrāma glowing faintly, while behind it a vast cosmic clock of fourteen Indra-thrones fades into a dark abyss, symbolizing immense duration. The foreground shows a hand recoiling from the stone, and the background hints at Yama’s court in shadow, emphasizing deterrence through cosmic scale.","primary_figures":["Śālagrāma (Viṣṇu-svarūpa)","symbolic Indra-thrones (14)","shadowed Yama (distant)","recoiling hand (symbolic)"],"setting":"mythic composite—altar in front, cosmic time imagery and naraka vista behind","lighting_mood":"dramatic chiaroscuro","color_palette":["obsidian","blood red","ashen white","dull gold","storm blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central Śālagrāma with gold-leaf aura; behind it a stylized arc of fourteen miniature Indra seats rendered with gold highlights fading into darkness; distant Yama-court motifs in deep reds; ornate borders, heavy gold leaf, high-contrast didactic composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined symbolic scene—altar in crisp detail, background dissolving into layered silhouettes of thrones and shadow realms; cool blues and grays with restrained gold; expressive minimalism conveying vast time.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold narrative panel—Śālagrāma and altar frontal, fourteen throne icons in a semicircle, Yama rendered in stylized form; strong red-yellow-green pigments with black outlines, temple-wall didactic clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical shrine framed by lotus borders; fourteen throne motifs arranged like a mandala around the central sacred stone; deep blue ground with gold ornamentation, dramatic contrast between sacred center and dark outer ring."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["thunder roll","conch blast","heavy bell","low chanting drone","abrupt silence at the end"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तस्मात्सर्वात्मना = तस्मात् + सर्वात्मना; यावदिंद्राश्चतुर्दश = यावत् + इन्द्राः + चतुर्दश (त् + इ → दि; ः + च → श्च)।
FAQs
It states that a woman should completely avoid a specified “touch upon a stone surface,” warning of severe karmic consequences if the act is done.
In Purāṇic time-reckoning, multiple Indras rule across cycles (often linked with Manvantaras). The phrase indicates an extremely long duration of suffering, not a short-term penalty.
It emphasizes dharma as strict adherence to prescribed conduct (niyama/pratiṣedha), presenting consequences (naraka) as a deterrent against forbidden actions.