Shloka 17
The Churning of the Ocean
Samudra Manthana
त्वं च देहि त्वं च देहि त्वं च देहीति चाब्रुवन् । न शक्तोऽस्मि न शक्तोऽस्मि न शक्तोऽस्मीति चाब्रुवन्
tvaṃ ca dehi tvaṃ ca dehi tvaṃ ca dehīti cābruvan | na śakto'smi na śakto'smi na śakto'smīti cābruvan
Sie riefen immer wieder: „Du sollst geben—geben, geben!“ Und er erwiderte stets: „Ich vermag es nicht—ich vermag es nicht, ich vermag es nicht.“
Narrative dialogue (unspecified in the provided excerpt); a group of petitioners demand, and the addressed person responds.
Concept: Demand without discernment and refusal from incapacity both bind society; dharma requires right asking, right giving, and truthful speech.
Application: Ask with humility and context; give within means; if unable, speak truthfully and offer alternative help (service, counsel, time).
Primary Rasa: hasya
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A crowded assembly presses forward in rhythmic insistence, hands outstretched, their voices visually suggested by repeated gestures. At the center, a weary figure raises open palms in honest refusal, eyes lowered, conveying inability rather than stinginess.","primary_figures":["petitioners (supplicants)","a constrained giver (householder/official)"],"setting":"A pillared hall or village court with onlookers, scattered offerings, and a sense of public scrutiny.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["earthy ochre","smoke gray","indigo shadow","brass gold","muted vermilion"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a South Indian pillared sabha with gold-leaf highlights on columns and ornaments; a central householder with raised palms of refusal, supplicants in repeated poses around him; rich reds and greens, embossed gold detailing, stylized faces, traditional jewelry and textiles, narrative panel composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a courtly veranda scene with delicate linework; supplicants in soft pastel garments repeating the 'give' gesture; the central figure shown with gentle pathos, cool palette with lyrical architecture, refined facial expressions, minimal but expressive background.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; rhythmic repetition of supplicants’ arms and mouths to convey chanting demand; central figure in calm but strained posture; warm red/yellow/green palette, temple-wall aesthetic, large expressive eyes.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a narrative border of repeated supplicants forming a patterned frieze; central medallion with the constrained giver; intricate floral borders, lotus motifs, deep blues and gold accents, stylized crowd symmetry reminiscent of devotional storytelling textiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["murmuring crowd","footsteps on stone","distant temple bell","brief silence after refusal"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dehīti = dehi + iti; cābruvan = ca + abruvan; śakto'smi = śaktaḥ + asmi; śakto'smīti = śaktaḥ + asmi + iti.
FAQs
It contrasts social pressure to give (dāna) with the practical reality of limited capacity, implying that ethical duty must be balanced with genuine ability.
Repetition (anuprāsa-like emphasis) dramatizes insistence versus helplessness, making the moral tension vivid and memorable.
Not explicitly; it records a dialogue. The ethical reading is that giving is praised, but claiming inability indicates constraint—later context in the chapter typically clarifies whether the claim is truthful or evasive.