Shloka 89
The Account of Women
Householder Ethics, Fault, Merit, and Govinda-Nāma as Purification
रौरवं नरकं प्राप्य चांडालत्वं च गच्छति । अतएव हि शुल्कं च जामातुर्न कदाचन
rauravaṃ narakaṃ prāpya cāṃḍālatvaṃ ca gacchati | ataeva hi śulkaṃ ca jāmāturna kadācana
يسقط في جحيم «راورافا» ويُبعث من جديد «تشاندالا»؛ لذلك لا ينبغي قطّ، في أي وقت، أن يُؤخذ ثمنُ العروس من صهرٍ (الزوج).
Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher voice within Adhyaya 52; not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Concept: Taking bride-price (śulka) is a grave adharma leading to Raurava hell and degraded rebirth; marriage must not be commodified.
Application: Avoid transactional marriage negotiations; replace ‘price’ with voluntary, non-coercive gifting and mutual support; cultivate integrity in family decisions.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stark moral diptych: in the foreground, a man accepts a heavy pouch labeled ‘śulka’ from a son-in-law, his face half-lit by a harsh red glow. Behind him opens the भयावह vision of Raurava—iron thorns, smoky winds, and anguished silhouettes—while a distant, faintly luminous wedding fire symbolizes the sanctity he has violated.","primary_figures":["man taking bride-price","son-in-law offering coins","Yama (optional, as judge)","messengers of Yama (yamadūtas, optional)"],"setting":"threshold between a marriage courtyard and a hellish ravine of Raurava","lighting_mood":"ominous ember-lit with harsh shadows","color_palette":["blood red","charcoal black","rust brown","sulfur yellow","cold steel gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central figure clutching a gold coin-pouch with exaggerated greed, framed by ornate pillars; behind, a stylized Raurava scene with gold-leaf accents used ironically on chains and thorn motifs; Yama seated with a stern halo, rich reds/greens, gem-studded ornaments, high-contrast divine-court-meets-hell composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined figures in a courtyard, the coin exchange shown with subtle hand gestures; in the background, a misty, symbolic Raurava landscape with thorny silhouettes and smoky gradients; delicate brushwork, restrained yet chilling palette, lyrical but cautionary tone.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, dramatic red-black background for Raurava, stylized yamadūtas with dynamic poses; foreground marriage setting simplified into iconic forms; strong temple-wall symmetry and narrative clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: moral allegory framed by floral borders; central coin-pouch motif contrasted with auspicious symbols (conch, lotus) fading at the edges; deep indigo field with gold highlights, intricate patterning, peacocks rendered subdued to match the warning tone."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["thunder-like mridang hits","metallic chain rattle (subtle)","conch blast at the end","heavy silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चांडालत्वं = चाण्डालत्वम्; अतएव = अत + एव; जामातुर्न = जामातुः + न
FAQs
It condemns taking a bride-price (śulka) from a prospective son-in-law, presenting it as a serious adharma with severe karmic consequences.
Raurava is named as a hell (naraka) in Purāṇic cosmology, invoked here as a consequence for unethical conduct.
It frames the giving of a daughter as a dharmic act that should not be commercialized; demanding payment from the groom’s side is portrayed as morally corrupting.