Shloka 39
The Account of Women
Householder Ethics, Fault, Merit, and Govinda-Nāma as Purification
पुनः कीटेषु संतीर्णस्तदा मानुषतां व्रजेत् । ततश्च कलहं शोकं प्राप्नोति पूर्वकल्मषात्
punaḥ kīṭeṣu saṃtīrṇastadā mānuṣatāṃ vrajet | tataśca kalahaṃ śokaṃ prāpnoti pūrvakalmaṣāt
ثم بعد أن يجتاز مرةً أخرى ولاداتٍ بين الديدان والحشرات، ينال مرتبة الإنسان؛ غير أنه بسبب دنس الذنوب السابقة يلقى بعد ذلك خصامًا وحزنًا.
Unspecified (narrative voice within Adhyaya 52 context)
Concept: Karmic residue (pūrvakalmaṣa) follows the jīva across births; even human birth can be shadowed by quarrel and sorrow if purification is neglected.
Application: Treat conflict and recurring sorrow as prompts for self-purification: truthfulness, restraint, sāttvika diet, daily nāma-japa, and periodic vrata observance to weaken old habits.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A symbolic wheel of births turns in a twilight void: tiny worms and insects crawl at the rim while a human figure rises upward, yet a dark smoky stain clings to the heart, spilling into scenes of quarrel and tears. In the background, a faint lotus-throne silhouette of Nārāyaṇa suggests the path of purification beyond the cycle.","primary_figures":["symbolic jīva (human figure)","worms and insects (kīṭa)","subtle presence of Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa as distant radiance"],"setting":"cosmic liminal space with a karmic wheel motif; fragments of earthly life showing domestic conflict and sorrow","lighting_mood":"moonlit with divine radiance at the horizon","color_palette":["indigo night","ash gray","smoky black","lotus pink","soft gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a karmic wheel encircling small kīṭas and a rising human figure, with a distant Nārāyaṇa on a lotus-throne rendered in gold leaf; rich maroon and emerald borders, gem-studded ornaments on the divine silhouette, ornate temple arch framing the cosmic scene, heavy gold highlights on the lotus and halo.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate depiction of transmigration—tiny insects at the lower edge, a contemplative human figure emerging into a village scene of quarrel; cool twilight blues and muted earth tones, lyrical clouds, refined faces with gentle sorrow, distant luminous lotus suggesting Viṣṇu’s grace.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines of a circular saṃsāra-chakra with kīṭas below and a human figure above, a small radiant Viṣṇu emblem (conch-disc) in the upper corner; natural pigment palette with dominant reds, yellows, greens, and deep blue background, temple-wall aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lotus motif with a subtle Nārāyaṇa aura, surrounding circular border of small life-forms (insects) transitioning to human figures; intricate floral borders, peacocks at corners, deep blue ground with gold detailing, devotional symbolism emphasizing purification through bhakti."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple drone","soft bell strokes","distant conch","hushed silence between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: संतीर्णस्तदा = संतीर्णः + तदा; ततश्च = ततः + च
FAQs
It presents a karmic progression through lower births (insect/worm forms) back to human birth, while stressing that residual past wrongdoing can still bear fruit as conflict and grief.
It attributes them to pūrva-kalmaṣa—prior moral defilement—indicating that present suffering may arise from earlier actions even after attaining a human birth.
Human birth is not automatically liberating; one should purify conduct and intentions, since unresolved past faults can mature into suffering and social discord.