Shloka 42
ऋतुकालाभिगमनं धर्मोऽयं गृहिणः परः । स्त्रीणां वरमनुस्मृत्याऽपत्यकामोथवा भवेत्
ṛtukālābhigamanaṃ dharmo'yaṃ gṛhiṇaḥ paraḥ | strīṇāṃ varamanusmṛtyā'patyakāmothavā bhavet
Sich der eigenen Gattin in ihrer fruchtbaren Zeit zu nähern, ist die höchste Pflicht des Hausvaters. Eingedenk dessen, dass dies den Frauen als Segen gilt, mag er sich dann mit dem Wunsch nach Nachkommenschaft verbinden.
Unspecified (narratorial/didactic voice within Pātāla-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Marital union, approached at the proper season and with right intention, is a dharmic duty supporting lineage and social order.
Application: Cultivate consent, mutual respect, and timing/health awareness in marital life; keep intention aligned with responsibility rather than indulgence; integrate prayer before intimacy to sacralize household life.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene household chamber shows a devoted couple offering a small lamp and flowers to a Viṣṇu image before retiring, suggesting that intimacy is approached as dharma rather than indulgence. A calendar-like lunar motif and a discreet garland of jasmine indicate the fertile season, while elders’ blessings and a cradle symbol appear in the background as the hope for progeny.","primary_figures":["gṛhastha husband","wife","Viṣṇu (household icon)","optional elder blessing figures"],"setting":"Clean domestic shrine room with a low altar, conch and bell, and a tulasī pot near a window.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["warm sandalwood beige","jasmine white","vermillion red","peacock blue","soft gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a gṛhastha couple in traditional attire stands before a household Viṣṇu altar, offering lamp and flowers; gold leaf radiance around Viṣṇu, rich reds/greens, ornate jewelry, carved arch frame, subtle lunar motif indicating ṛtukāla, devotional domestic sanctity emphasized with gleaming highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate yet modest domestic scene—couple near a small shrine, delicate jasmine vines, cool pastel palette, refined facial expressions, a faint moon-cycle border; lyrical naturalism with soft textiles and a quiet cradle symbol in the corner.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized couple with expressive eyes and bold outlines, Viṣṇu icon in a niche, warm red-yellow-green pigments, rhythmic ornamentation on garments, a symbolic moon band above to denote proper season, temple-wall aesthetic applied to household dharma.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Viṣṇu shrine framed by lotus borders; the couple shown in reverent posture; deep blue ground with gold floral filigree, peacocks and vines, a circular moon-calendar motif woven into the border, emphasizing dharma-centered household devotion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bell","tanpura drone","night insects fading into dawn birds","gentle silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dharmaḥ + ayam → dharmo'yaṃ; anusmṛtya + apatya- → anusmṛtyā'patya-; kāmaḥ + athavā → kāmothavā.
FAQs
It recommends ṛtukālābhigamana—conjugal approach during the wife’s fertile period—as a primary duty for householders, especially when seeking children.
It frames it as dharma (a regulated duty) rather than mere pleasure, emphasizing remembrance of its beneficial purpose and orientation toward progeny.
The gṛhastha ideal of regulated family life: fulfilling marital obligations in a dharma-guided way, with responsibility toward lineage/offspring.