Shloka 38
The Account of Women
Householder Ethics, Fault, Merit, and Govinda-Nāma as Purification
एवं वर्षसहस्राणि भारं वहति दुर्मतिः । पुनर्यावन्ति लोमानि तावत्स रौरवं व्रजेत्
evaṃ varṣasahasrāṇi bhāraṃ vahati durmatiḥ | punaryāvanti lomāni tāvatsa rauravaṃ vrajet
So trägt der Übelgesinnte die Last tausend Jahre; und solange seine Haare immer wieder nachwachsen, so lange geht er in die Raurava-Hölle.
Unspecified narrator (context-dependent within Adhyaya 52; likely within a Pulastya–Bhīṣma style discourse typical of the Purāṇa).
Concept: Karmic punishment can be vast in duration and cyclic (as long as hairs regrow), emphasizing the persistence of consequences for evil-minded acts.
Application: Take long-term consequences seriously; interrupt harmful patterns early; cultivate sattva through ethical conduct and devotional disciplines to avoid ‘cyclic’ suffering.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vast infernal plain labeled by symbolism as Raurava stretches under a copper sky, where the condemned trudges endlessly, bent beneath an invisible karmic weight. Time itself is shown as a wheel turning above him; each turn makes his hair regrow, and with each regrowth the path loops back into torment, conveying cyclical duration without explicit gore.","primary_figures":["Condemned man (symbolic)","Yama-dūtas (distant)","Kāla (Time, allegorical wheel)"],"setting":"Raurava-naraka: barren iron ground, thorn-like silhouettes, distant fiery fissures, looping path motif like a labyrinth.","lighting_mood":"ominous twilight","color_palette":["copper orange","soot black","ember red","ashen beige","acid green highlights"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: infernal landscape rendered as stylized symbolic terrain, central figure bent under karmic burden, a gold-leaf Kāla-wheel above indicating cyclic punishment; rich reds and blacks with gold accents, ornate border framing the moral lesson.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: expansive barren plain with looping path, subtle flames in the distance, delicate depiction of the Kāla-wheel in the sky; cool-to-warm gradient twilight, refined linework emphasizing endlessness rather than horror.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, patterned infernal ground, stylized time-wheel overhead; strong red/ochre palette with black dominance, rhythmic repetition motifs to suggest ‘punar yāvanti lomāni’.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical Raurava framed by ornate floral borders; the time-wheel as a central mandala, looping path motifs like decorative vines turned ominous; deep blue-black ground with gold and ember-red detailing, narrative medallions indicating cyclic consequence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"grave","sound_elements":["deep drone","distant thunder","low bell toll","wind over barren ground","long silence at the end"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पुनर्यावन्ति = पुनः + यावन्ति; तावत्स = तावत् + सः; (रौरवं व्रजेत् = रौरवम् व्रजेत्, अनुस्वार/विसर्ग-सन्धि/पदपाठ-समायोजन)
FAQs
Raurava is a named hell-realm (naraka) in Purāṇic descriptions, associated with intense suffering as a consequence of grave wrongdoing.
It conveys repeated, extended duration—punishment continues as long as the cycle of regrowth persists, emphasizing persistence of karmic results.
The verse warns that wicked intent and actions lead to prolonged suffering; it underscores personal responsibility and the inevitability of karmic consequence.