Shloka 78
Narmadā
Revā) Tīrtha Greatness: The Gandharva Maidens’ Curse Narrative (Acchodā Episode Begins
गतोऽसि प्रिय पूर्वेद्युर्गंतुमद्य न लभ्यते । वृतस्त्वं नूनमस्माभिर्नात्र तेऽस्ति विचारणा
gato'si priya pūrvedyurgaṃtumadya na labhyate | vṛtastvaṃ nūnamasmābhirnātra te'sti vicāraṇā
«Geliebter, gestern bist du schon fortgegangen; heute darfst du nicht mehr gehen. Gewiss bist du von uns erwählt—hier gibt es für dich kein Abwägen.»
Unspecified (contextual dialogue speaker not provided in the input)
Concept: Where there is coercion, dharma is eclipsed; true choice (vicāra) is essential for righteous action and for any vow or relationship to be spiritually meaningful.
Application: In daily decisions, reject pressure that removes reflection; insist on time for discernment before commitments.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The maidens, faces flushed with insistence, lean toward the bound brahmacārin and speak with possessive certainty, their gestures sharp and declarative. Behind them the lake remains still, as if nature itself contrasts their agitation with the tīrtha’s calm clarity.","primary_figures":["maidens (kanyāḥ)","brahmacārin brāhmaṇa"],"setting":"close-up grouping at the lakeside steps, lotus pond blurred behind, reeds framing the edges","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["burnished gold","rose red","midnight blue","pale jade","cream"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: intense conversational tableau—maidens in rich silks addressing a bound brahmacārin, gold leaf emphasizing stern hand gestures and jewelry, lotus pond backdrop with stylized ripples, ornate arch and border, saturated reds/greens with gleaming highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate close-up with refined facial expressions—insistence and surprise—soft shading, cool blues of water behind, delicate lotus details, subtle tension conveyed through hand positions and eye-lines.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and expressive eyes, maidens’ commanding gestures exaggerated for narrative clarity, warm red/yellow palette, stylized lotus pond motifs, temple-wall storytelling composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central speech scene framed by dense lotus and floral borders, symmetrical arrangement of maidens around the brahmacārin, deep blue background with gold accents, decorative textural richness like a ceremonial hanging."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp bracelet clinks","wind rising","water suddenly still","distant conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गतोऽसि = गतः + असि; पूर्वेद्युर्गन्तुमद्य = पूर्वेद्युः + गन्तुम् + अद्य; वृतस्त्वं = वृतः + त्वम्; नूनमस्माभिः = नूनम् + अस्माभिः; नात्र = न + अत्र; तेऽस्ति = ते + अस्ति।
FAQs
The verse addresses someone affectionately as 'priya' (“beloved/dear one”), but the specific person cannot be identified from the verse alone without the surrounding narrative context of Svargakhaṇḍa 3.22.
It conveys a sense of selection or appointment—“you have been chosen by us”—implying that the decision has already been made and is not open to negotiation.
It highlights the tension between personal preference and unavoidable duty or decision: once a course is fixed (by time, circumstance, or authority), hesitation and over-deliberation may be presented as futile.