Shloka 116
The Five Great Sacrifices: Supremacy of Honoring Parents, Pativrata Dharma, Truthfulness, and Śrāddha
बालकस्येव पुत्रस्य स्तनौ मातुः समन्यते । तस्या अंगानि चांगेषु लगंति च पुनःपुनः
bālakasyeva putrasya stanau mātuḥ samanyate | tasyā aṃgāni cāṃgeṣu lagaṃti ca punaḥpunaḥ
Wie ein kleines Kind sich an die Brust seiner Mutter klammert, so drückte er seine Glieder immer wieder an die ihren.
Unspecified (narrative voice; speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Concept: The text uses the mother–child image to mark the collapse of erotic intent into dependency, implying that unchecked desire can degrade into confusion and suffering.
Application: Notice when attachment becomes compulsive dependency; seek counsel, cultivate self-restraint, and redirect longing toward sattvic practices (japa, seva).
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A young man clings to a woman with the helplessness of an infant, his arms wrapped around her as if seeking refuge rather than passion. The woman’s face shows conflicted sorrow and alarm, while the room’s stillness amplifies the sense that desire has curdled into dependence.","primary_figures":["Bhadra (woman)","unnamed male companion/householder"],"setting":"private chamber with woven mat, low cot, curtain drawn, a small window casting a narrow beam","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["dusty rose","pale sandalwood","shadowed teal","soft ochre","charcoal black"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a moral-drama interior—male figure clinging like a child to Bhadra, her expression sorrowful and restrained; gold leaf highlights on lamp and jewelry, rich maroon drapery, green borders, ornate arch frame, stylized gestures emphasizing dependency rather than romance.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tender-yet-troubling embrace rendered with delicate lines—subtle facial emotions, cool interior tones, patterned textiles, a thin sunbeam through a lattice; the scene suggests infantilization and moral unease without explicitness, refined Himalayan miniature aesthetics.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, expressive eyes—Bhadra seated, the male figure clasping her limbs repetitively; flat pigments in red/yellow/green, decorative floral borders, symbolic emphasis on restraint and sorrow.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical pavilion scene framed by lotus creepers—central figures in subdued posture, attendants absent, peacocks and lotuses as symbolic witnesses; deep indigo ground with gold floral border, the clinging gesture stylized and discreet."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["soft drone (tanpura)","distant night insects","faint wind","long pauses","single bell strike"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: बालकस्येव = बालकस्य + इव; चांगेषु = च + अङ्गेषु; लगंति (पाठभेद) = लगन्ति
FAQs
It uses the simile of a small child clinging to the mother’s breasts to express intense dependence and repeated physical closeness.
Not explicitly in this isolated verse; it presents a human analogy that may be used by the surrounding passage to illustrate devotion, dependence, or attachment.
It highlights how powerful reliance and attachment can be—returning “again and again”—which can be read as either a caution about clinging or, in devotional framing, as an ideal of unwavering dependence.