Shloka 3
The Account of Women
Householder Ethics, Fault, Merit, and Govinda-Nāma as Purification
तेनापवाददोषेण धर्मस्याज्ञातुरेव च । अहोरात्रं व्यथा कृच्छ्रा भुक्ता तेन द्विजन्मना
tenāpavādadoṣeṇa dharmasyājñātureva ca | ahorātraṃ vyathā kṛcchrā bhuktā tena dvijanmanā
Durch die Schuld der Verleumdung —und weil er die wahre Dharma nicht kannte— erduldete jener Zweimalgeborene Tag und Nacht schmerzhaftes, schweres Leiden.
Narrator (context not provided in the excerpt; speaker cannot be reliably identified from this single verse alone)
Concept: Slander (apavāda) and ignorance of dharma generate intense suffering; ethical speech is a central pillar of spiritual life.
Application: Guard speech: avoid gossip and character assassination; when unsure of dharma, seek guidance; practice confession/atonement and cultivate empathy for those in pain.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A twice-born ascetic sits through the long cycle of day and night, body tense with pain, yet face marked by dawning understanding. Around him, shadowy figures representing ‘apavāda’ whisper like smoke, while a faint, steady light—symbol of dharma—remains just beyond reach, suggesting that ignorance, not fate alone, binds him.","primary_figures":["A suffering dvija/ascetic (Māṇḍavya implied)","Personifications of Apavāda (whispering shadows)","A symbolic Dharma-light (abstract)"],"setting":"Sparse āśrama cell or forest edge with a single lamp and a cold ground seat; time indicated by sun-to-moon transition in the sky band.","lighting_mood":"lamp-lit","color_palette":["charcoal black","lamp gold","moon white","rust red","sage green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central ascetic with expressive posture of endurance, surrounding whispering shadow-forms as stylized demons of slander, gold leaf lamp and halo of dharma-light, rich maroon background, ornate border framing the day-night cycle with sun and moon medallions.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: poignant solitary figure under a pale moon, minimal setting, delicate rendering of pain through posture and eyes, faint smoky silhouettes at the margins, subtle gradient sky showing passage of time, restrained palette emphasizing karuṇa.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, ascetic seated with tense limbs, stylized black smoke-serpents as apavāda, bright lamp motif in yellow, red-green background fields, sun and moon icons above to show ahorātra suffering.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central figure surrounded by circular border of repeating whisper motifs, lotus medallions alternating sun and moon, deep indigo cloth with gold lamp highlights, floral borders that contrast purity with the dark apavāda forms."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["night insects","low tanpura","single deep bell","soft wind","long pauses"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तेनापवाददोषेण → तेन अपवाददोषेण; धर्मस्याज्ञातुरेव → धर्मस्य अज्ञातुः एव
FAQs
It warns that slander (apavāda) is a serious moral fault and that ignorance of dharma leads to ongoing suffering.
It means the ‘fault/sin of defamation’—harm caused by false accusation, disparagement, or damaging speech about others.
It underscores that even an initiated person (traditionally expected to know dharma) can suffer consequences if they engage in slander and remain ignorant of true righteousness.