Shloka 46
The Greatness of the Gaṇḍakī River and the Śālagrāma Stone
नित्यं जंतुवधोद्युक्तः शरासनधरो मुहुः । तीर्थं प्रति यियासूनां बलाद्धरति जीवितम्
nityaṃ jaṃtuvadhodyuktaḥ śarāsanadharo muhuḥ | tīrthaṃ prati yiyāsūnāṃ balāddharati jīvitam
Stets darauf aus, Lebewesen zu töten, den Bogen immer wieder tragend, raubte er gewaltsam das Leben derer, die sich zu einem Tīrtha, einer heiligen Pilgerstätte, aufmachten.
Unspecified (narrative voice within the Adhyāya context)
Concept: Violence against pilgrims is a grave violation—an assault on dharma’s pathways—underscoring the moral weight of obstructing sacred pursuits.
Application: Protect and support spiritual seekers; avoid obstructing others’ religious practice; recognize that harming the innocent—especially those on sacred intent—deepens karmic bondage.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On a forest path leading toward a distant sacred site, weary pilgrims carry water pots and offerings, their faces hopeful. From the shadows, Śabara the hunter lunges with bow drawn, the moment frozen at the edge of violence—an image of adharma attacking the very act of pilgrimage, while the horizon hints at a temple spire or sacred grove he seeks to deny them.","primary_figures":["Śabara (hunter)","pilgrims (tīrtha-yātrins)"],"setting":"Forest trail with thorny undergrowth, scattered stones, distant glimpse of a sacred gateway or flag; pilgrims’ bundles include flowers, lamps, and cloth-wrapped offerings.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["midnight blue","blood red","ashen gray","forest green","bronze"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: high-drama tableau—hunter with bow in dynamic pose, pilgrims recoiling; gold leaf used for distant sacred emblem (dhvaja/temple arch) and for weapon highlights; rich reds and deep blues; ornate border framing the moral conflict between tīrtha and violence.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: cinematic forest path with delicate foliage; tense expressions, refined linework on the drawn bow; cool nocturnal palette; distant sacred structure rendered softly to symbolize hope; subtle narrative detail in pilgrims’ offerings.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized action; hunter’s bow and pilgrims’ gestures exaggerated for clarity; strong contrasts of dark blue background and warm red accents; symbolic sacred flag in the distance.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical night scene framed by lotus borders; pilgrims as small figures moving toward a stylized shrine; the hunter as a central dark form; gold motifs (conch/discus) faintly embedded in the border to suggest unseen divine protection."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["thunder (distant)","bowstring twang","hurried footsteps","forest insects","sudden silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: जंतुवधोद्युक्तः = जन्तु-वध-उद्युक्तः; बलाद्धरति = बलात् + हरति.
FAQs
It condemns habitual violence—especially the grave wrongdoing of attacking or killing people engaged in a sacred act like tīrtha-yātrā—highlighting the dharmic priority of protecting life and pilgrims.
It treats pilgrimage as a meritorious, protected religious undertaking, where harming pilgrims is portrayed as a serious transgression rather than a mere social crime.
The verse describes an unnamed violent person (likely a bandit or aggressor) characterized by constant readiness to kill and by forcibly taking the lives of those heading to a tīrtha.