Shloka 10
The Birth of Tāraka and the Prelude to the Deva–Asura War
Topic-based Title
बध्वा ततः सहस्राक्षं पाशेनामोघवर्चसा । मातुरंतिकमागच्छद्व्याधः क्षुद्रमृगं यथा
badhvā tataḥ sahasrākṣaṃ pāśenāmoghavarcasā | māturaṃtikamāgacchadvyādhaḥ kṣudramṛgaṃ yathā
Darauf band er Sahasrākṣa mit einer Schlinge von unfehlbarer Kraft und trat zu seiner Mutter, wie ein Jäger ein kleines Wild herbeibringt.
Narrator (contextual narration within the Adhyaya; specific dialogue-speaker not stated in the verse itself)
Concept: Power without compassion degrades the victor: the hunter–prey simile signals moral coarsening and the dehumanization of an enemy.
Application: Avoid treating opponents as prey; even when correcting wrongs, preserve dignity and restraint.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In the jeweled avenues of Svarga, Indra—crowned and radiant—stands bound by a glowing noose that coils like living light, his thousand-eyed epithet suggested through a patterned aura. The daitya victor drags him with cold efficiency, and the scene cuts to the mother’s presence as the captor approaches, the hunter simile made visual by a shadowy overlay of a predator carrying a small deer.","primary_figures":["Daitya captor","Indra (Sahasrākṣa) bound","Diti (awaiting)"],"setting":"Svarga’s celestial courtyard transitioning to the daitya realm—golden pillars, flying apsaras frozen in shock, cloud-streets, and a threshold gate where the mother waits.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance with ominous undertone","color_palette":["celestial gold","icy white","sapphire blue","shadow black","ruby red"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Indra bound with a luminous pāśa rendered in raised gold-leaf relief; the daitya warrior in gem-studded armor leading him; shocked celestial attendants in the background; ornate Svarga architecture with gold embossing, rich reds/greens, and a dramatic border; a subtle secondary vignette of a hunter carrying a small deer integrated into the lower frieze as symbolic commentary.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined celestial courtyard with delicate gold accents; Indra’s restrained dignity despite bondage, the noose painted as thin luminous line; the captor’s stern profile; cool sapphire shadows and pale cloud whites; a faint translucent overlay of hunter-and-deer imagery as an artistic metaphor.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized Indra with patterned ‘thousand-eye’ aura; the pāśa as bright white-gold loop; strong red/yellow/green palette with deep blue background; celestial pillars and attendants simplified into iconic forms; border motifs of animals to echo the hunter simile.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central narrative panel of bound Indra led by the daitya, framed by ornate floral borders; deep blue ground with gold highlights; symbolic animal vignette (hunter with small deer) placed in a corner medallion; intricate patterns, symmetrical ornamentation, and a devotional-cosmic aesthetic despite the conflict."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","metallic clink of armor","hushed gasp of a celestial crowd","low drum","wind over clouds"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पाशेनामोघवर्चसा = पाशेन + अमोघवर्चसा; मातुरंतिकमागच्छद्व्याधः = मातुः + अन्तिकम् + आगच्छत् + व्याधः.
FAQs
‘Sahasrākṣa’ literally means “thousand-eyed” and is a common epithet of Indra, the king of the Devas.
In this narrative context, the pāśa is a binding instrument with “amogha” (unfailing) power, emphasizing irresistible capture and the loss of freedom through overpowering force.
The simile intensifies the humiliation and helplessness of the captured one, portraying a mighty figure reduced to the status of prey—an image often used in Purāṇic storytelling to highlight the consequences of conflict, pride, or fate within cosmic order.