Adhyaya 23 — Ashvatara’s Vow for Madalasa and the Bestowal of Musical Science by Sarasvati
ददर्श जनमुद्विग्नमप्रहृष्टमुखं पुरः ।
पुनश्च विस्मिताकारं प्रहृष्टवदनं ततः ॥
dadarśa janam udvignam aprahṛṣṭa-mukhaṃ puraḥ | punaś ca vismitākāraṃ prahṛṣṭa-vadanaṃ tataḥ ||
সে তার সম্মুখে লোকদের দেখল—তারা উদ্বিগ্ন, মুখে আনন্দের আভা নেই; আবার সে অন্যদেরও দেখল, বিস্ময়ে বিমুগ্ধ, যাদের মুখ হর্ষে উজ্জ্বল।
{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
The verse highlights the mixed nature of worldly perception: the same event produces anxiety in some and joy in others, reminding the listener that social reality is composed of shifting mental states (bhāvas) rather than a single uniform response.
This passage is primarily Ākhyāna/Upākhyāna (narrative episode) rather than the pancalakṣaṇa cores (sarga, pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, vaṃśānucarita), though it may belong to vaṃśānucarita if the surrounding chapter is genealogical/royal biography.
The alternating faces—fearful and delighted—can be read as the play of guṇas: tamas/rajas producing agitation and sattva producing clarity and gladness, anticipating the protagonist’s later inner turmoil.