Shloka 18
Kāṣṭhīla-Upākhyāna: Rākṣasī, Spear-Śakti, and Kāśī as Śakti-kṣetra
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु वचनं भर्ता मे चारुलोचने । राक्षस्याः कामतप्तायाः कुमार्याः सन्निधौ शुभे ॥ १८ ॥
etacchrutvā tu vacanaṃ bhartā me cārulocane | rākṣasyāḥ kāmataptāyāḥ kumāryāḥ sannidhau śubhe || 18 ||
Als mein Ehemann diese Worte hörte – o Schönäugige –, sprach er in der glückverheißenden Gegenwart jener Jungfrau und der von Begierde verzehrten Rākṣasī.
Narrator (a female character within the Adhyaya’s story, speaking to 'cārulocane')
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shringara
FAQs
The verse frames a moral turning point in a narrative: actions begin after “hearing the words,” highlighting how speech, intention, and desire (kāma) can drive consequential choices—often used in Purāṇic storytelling to contrast dharma with passion.
Bhakti is not explicit in this line; instead, it implicitly shows the opposite force—kāma-tāpa (burning desire). In the Narada Purana’s broader teaching style, such narrative cues prepare the reader to value self-restraint and God-centered devotion over impulse.
No Vedāṅga topic (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is directly taught in this verse; it is primarily narrative Sanskrit emphasizing characterization through compounds like kāma-taptāyāḥ.