Shloka 108
Narmadā
Revā) Tīrtha Greatness: The Gandharva Maidens’ Curse Narrative (Acchodā Episode Begins
अतऊर्ध्वं पिशाचास्ते आहारार्थं सुदुःखिताः । इतस्ततश्च धावंतो वसंति सरसस्तटे
ataūrdhvaṃ piśācāste āhārārthaṃ suduḥkhitāḥ | itastataśca dhāvaṃto vasaṃti sarasastaṭe
Von da an laufen jene Piśācas, von Hunger und großem Elend gequält, hierhin und dorthin auf der Suche nach Nahrung und wohnen am Ufer des Sees.
Unspecified narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; exact dialogue pair not provided in the input).
Concept: Unwholesome karma can lead to restless, hungry states of existence; suffering expresses itself as perpetual seeking without satisfaction.
Application: Notice compulsive ‘running here and there’ in one’s own mind; cultivate regulated living, charity, and devotional practices that transform craving into purposeful desire for the good.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Gaunt piśācas sprint along a dark lake’s edge, their limbs elongated, eyes fixed on imagined food that vanishes like mirage. Reeds shiver as they pass; the water reflects them distorted, suggesting their fractured identity and the instability of their state.","primary_figures":["Piśācas"],"setting":"Lakebank with dense reeds, muddy shore, scattered remnants of offerings, distant cremation smoke on the horizon.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["midnight blue","mud brown","phosphor green","silver gray","dull crimson"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dynamic procession of piśācas running along a stylized lakebank, embossed gold-leaf ripples on dark water, heavy ornamental borders, dramatic diagonals, jewel-like highlights used to depict eerie reflections and karmic agitation.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a nocturnal lakeside with delicate reeds and subtle gradients; thin spectral figures in motion, mirrored distortions in water, cool palette with restrained crimson accents, refined storytelling through landscape rhythm.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and rhythmic repetition of running figures; flat midnight-blue lake with silver-white highlights, green reeds, red-ochre ground, strong narrative clarity like a temple panel warning against adharma.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: circular border of reeds and dark lotuses framing a restless chase along the shore; deep indigo cloth, intricate gold patterning on water, stylized birds as omens, devotional textile complexity turned into a moral allegory."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["rushing footsteps","rustling reeds","low water lapping","distant owl call"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अतऊर्ध्वम् = अतः + ऊर्ध्वम्; पिशाचास्ते = पिशाचाः + ते; इतस्ततश्च = इतः + ततः + च; धावंतो = धावन्तः; सरसस्तटे = सरसः + तटे
FAQs
Piśācas are portrayed in Purāṇic literature as troubled, restless beings associated with impurity and suffering; here they are shown as afflicted by hunger and compelled to wander for sustenance.
It depicts miserable beings running in different directions seeking food, ultimately dwelling on the shore of a lake—an image emphasizing restless deprivation.
The verse underscores the theme of suffering born of want and restlessness, implying that harmful or unwholesome modes of life culminate in distress rather than peace.