Shloka 38

The Account of Sukalā (Vena-Episode Continuation): Padmāvatī, Gobhila’s Deception, and the Threat of a Curse

Devanagari script

सखीभिः सहिता गत्वा औत्सुक्येन नृपात्मजा । अशोकच्छायामाश्रित्य विमले सुशिलातले

Transliteration

sakhībhiḥ sahitā gatvā autsukyena nṛpātmajā | aśokacchāyāmāśritya vimale suśilātale

Translation

Von ihren Freundinnen begleitet ging die Königstochter in sehnsüchtiger Erwartung dorthin und, im Schatten eines Aśoka-Baumes Zuflucht nehmend, verweilte sie auf einer makellosen, schönen Steinplatte.

Word by Word

• सखीभिः: with (her) female friends
• सखीभिः: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• सहिता: accompanied
• सहिता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (कृदन्त; √सह् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त; agreeing with नृपात्मजा

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• औत्सुक्येन: out of eagerness
• औत्सुक्येन: Hetu/Kāraṇa (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औत्सुक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• नृपात्मजा: the king’s daughter
• नृपात्मजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + आत्मजा (प्रातिपदिक); आत्मजा < आत्मन् + जा (√जन्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नृपस्य आत्मजा)

• अशोकच्छायाम्: the shade of an aśoka tree
• अशोकच्छायाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशोक + छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अशोकस्य छाया)

• आश्रित्य: having taken refuge in / resorting to
• आश्रित्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √श्रि (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: अव्यय; ल्यबन्त (gerund)

• विमले: clean, pure
• विमले: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agreeing with सुशिलातले

• सुशिलातले: on a fine stone surface
• सुशिलातले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + शिला + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-सदृश समास: ‘सु-शिला’ (good stone) + ‘तल’ (surface)

Speaker

Narrator (context not specified in the provided excerpt)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sattva is mirrored in surroundings: purity (vimala) and auspicious shelter (aśoka) support right intention and devotional longing.

Application: Create a clean, calm place for prayer/vrata—simple purity of space and company steadies the mind and deepens devotion.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shringara

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: forest

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A princess, surrounded by close friends, moves with eager steps into a tranquil grove and pauses beneath an aśoka tree heavy with buds. She sits on a spotless, polished stone-slab platform, her posture poised between hope and restraint, as if awaiting a dharmic destiny.","primary_figures":["the king’s daughter (princess)","her sakhīs (female companions)"],"setting":"aśoka tree shade over a clean stone platform, flowering creepers, soft grass, distant palace garden boundary","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["asoka blossom orange","ivory white","leaf green","vermillion","pearl gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: princess with sakhīs under an aśoka tree, seated on a gleaming stone platform; gold leaf on jewelry, tree aureole, and border; rich reds/greens, ornate textiles, stylized garden architecture behind.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate garden-grove with an aśoka tree, refined feminine figures in pastel garments; cool shadows, lyrical naturalism, fine facial features, small flowering details and birds.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; the aśoka tree rendered as stylized foliage canopy; princess and companions in traditional attire with strong red-yellow-green palette, temple-garden aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral borders and lotus motifs framing the grove; central seated princess under a stylized tree, peacocks at corners, deep blues and gold highlights, intricate textile patterns."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["rustling leaves","soft anklet chime","distant birds","gentle breeze"]}

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: अशोकच्छायामाश्रित्य = अशोकच्छायाम् + आश्रित्य (म् + आ → मा).

Characters & Entities

• nṛpātmajā (princess)
• sakhī (female friends)
• aśoka (tree)

FAQs

Who is described in this verse, and what is she doing?

The verse describes a princess (nṛpātmajā) who, accompanied by her friends, goes eagerly and sits/rests in the shade of an aśoka tree on a clean, beautiful stone platform.

What is the significance of the aśoka tree in Sanskrit literature?

The aśoka is commonly associated with love, longing, and auspicious garden settings in classical Sanskrit narratives; here it functions as a serene, sheltered spot for the princess and her companions.

What mood or atmosphere does this verse establish in the narrative?

It establishes a gentle, anticipatory mood—eagerness (autsukya) within a calm natural setting (tree shade, spotless stone platform), preparing the scene for subsequent events.