Shloka 12
The Glory of Dhātrī (Āmalakī) and Tulasī: Ekādaśī Observance and Protection from Preta States
धात्रीद्रवेण सततं यस्य केशाः सुरंजिताः । न पिबेत्स पुनर्मातुः स्तनं कश्चित्षडानन
dhātrīdraveṇa satataṃ yasya keśāḥ suraṃjitāḥ | na pibetsa punarmātuḥ stanaṃ kaścitṣaḍānana
O Ṣaḍānana, wer sein Haar fortwährend mit der schmückenden Flüssigkeit einer Amme färbt, soll nie wieder an der Brust seiner Mutter Milch trinken.
Unclear from the single-verse excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses in Adhyaya 60).
Concept: One should not regress into dependence/impurity after adopting an adult, socially marked identity; the image warns against backsliding after taking on a vow or discipline.
Application: After beginning a sādhana or vrata, avoid ‘returning to old comforts’—keep boundaries, maintain consistency, and do not undo your progress through indulgence or negligence.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: hasya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A didactic tableau: a youthful figure with freshly dyed hair stands at a threshold between childhood and adulthood, while a sage points firmly, indicating ‘no return’ to infantile dependence. The scene is symbolic rather than literal, with a boundary line and ritual vessels suggesting the transition into disciplined life.","primary_figures":["Ṣaḍānana (Skanda/Kārttikeya) as addressed figure","A teaching sage (unnamed)","Youthful householder/novice"],"setting":"Hermitage courtyard with a small ritual platform; a boundary gate or threshold stone emphasized as a moral line.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["earthy ochre","indigo black","pomegranate red","leaf green","smoke gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a stern sage instructing a youthful figure at a hermitage threshold, symbolic ‘no return’ gesture, ornate borders and gold leaf accents on garments and ritual vessels, rich reds and greens, stylized architecture framing the moral lesson, Skanda subtly present as a divine listener with spear and peacock motif.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a gentle yet admonishing sage in a quiet ashram courtyard, the youth with dark-dyed hair near a threshold stone, delicate lines and muted mountain palette, narrative symbolism through small details (milk bowl set aside, ritual dye vessel), refined expressions conveying warning without harshness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold-outlined sage with raised instructive hand, youth facing him, Skanda as addressed deity at the side with peacock emblem, flat temple-wall composition, strong reds/yellows/greens, patterned borders and stylized foliage.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical scene framed by floral borders, central threshold motif, sage and youth rendered with decorative textiles, peacock elements referencing Ṣaḍānana, intricate patterns and symbolic vessels, deep blues and gold with earthy accents."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["dry hand-clap for emphasis","ashram birds","low drone","brief silence after the warning"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धात्रीद्रवेण = धात्री-द्रवेण; सुरंजिताः = सु-रञ्जिताः; पिबेत्स = पिबेत् + सः; पुनर्मातुः = पुनः + मातुः; कश्चित्षडानन = कश्चित् + षडानन (त् + ष → ट्ष)।
FAQs
It conveys a norm of propriety and life-stage conduct: once a person has moved beyond infancy (symbolized by grooming/ornamentation and being cared for by a nurse), he should not revert to infantile dependence such as nursing from his mother.
Ṣaḍānana is an epithet of Skanda/Kārttikeya and is used as a direct form of address to the listener; the verse is framed as an instruction given to him (or in his presence).
No explicit geography, tīrtha, or devotional doctrine appears in this single verse; it reads as a nīti/dharma-style statement about appropriate behavior. Broader theological framing would require the surrounding passage.