Shloka 72
Narmadā
Revā) Tīrtha Greatness: The Gandharva Maidens’ Curse Narrative (Acchodā Episode Begins
इत्थं युगसमां रात्रिमनयंस्ता वरस्त्रियः । कथंचिद्धारणं कृत्वा विह्वलाः सज्वरा इव
itthaṃ yugasamāṃ rātrimanayaṃstā varastriyaḥ | kathaṃciddhāraṇaṃ kṛtvā vihvalāḥ sajvarā iva
So verbrachten jene vortrefflichen Frauen die Nacht, die ihnen wie ein ganzes Zeitalter erschien; irgendwie hielten sie sich aufrecht, doch blieben sie verstört, als wären sie vom Fieber ergriffen.
Narratorial voice (textual narrator describing the women’s condition; no explicit dialogue marker in this verse alone).
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Type: celestial_realm
Sandhi Resolution Notes: रात्रिमनयंस्ता → रात्रिम् अनयन् ताः (पाठानुसारं: अनयन् + ताः संधिः); वरस्त्रियः → वर-स्त्रियः; कथंचिद्धारणं → कथंचित् धारणम्
FAQs
It is a poetic intensifier: intense anxiety or separation makes time feel stretched, so a single night is experienced as long as an entire yuga.
It suggests forced composure—holding themselves together with difficulty despite inner turmoil.
The verse highlights how strong emotion can overwhelm the mind and body, and it subtly praises endurance—maintaining steadiness even when distressed.