Shloka 22

Supremacy of Hari-Bhakti in Kali-yuga; Warnings on Sensual Attachment; Praise of Brāhmaṇas, Purāṇa-Listening, and Gaṅgā

Devanagari script

स्नेहात्मज्ञानरहितं नारीरूपं कुतः स्मृतम् । पूयमूत्रपुरीषासृक्त्वङ्मेदोस्थिवसान्वितम्

Transliteration

snehātmajñānarahitaṃ nārīrūpaṃ kutaḥ smṛtam | pūyamūtrapurīṣāsṛktvaṅmedosthivasānvitam

Translation

Wie kann die Gestalt einer Frau als liebenswert gelten, wenn sie ohne wahre Selbsterkenntnis ist—da sie aus Eiter, Urin, Kot, Blut, Haut, Fett, Knochen und Mark besteht?

Word by Word

• स्नेह-आत्म-ज्ञान-रहितम्: devoid of affection and self-knowledge
• स्नेह-आत्म-ज्ञान-रहितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण) of 'नारीरूपम्'
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + रहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular; multi-member Tatpuruṣa expressing absence: 'स्नेहेन आत्मज्ञानेन च रहितम्' (sense: devoid of affection and self-knowledge)

• नारी-रूपम्: the form of a woman
• नारी-रूपम्: Karta (कर्ता) / Topic (about which question is asked)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'नार्याः रूपम्'

• कुतः: from where? how?
• कुतः: Hetu (हेतु) (interrogative cause/source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative indeclinable (प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय); source/cause sense 'from where/how'

• स्मृतम्: is regarded/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (क्रिया) (predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त); Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; predicative: 'is considered/remembered'

• पूय-मूत्र-पुरीष-असृक्-त्वक्-मेदस्-अस्थि-वसा-अन्वितम्: filled with pus, urine, feces, blood, skin, fat, bone, and marrow/fat
• पूय-मूत्र-पुरीष-असृक्-त्वक्-मेदस्-अस्थि-वसा-अन्वितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण) of 'नारीरूपम्' (continued description)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूय (प्रातिपदिक) + मूत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरीष (प्रातिपदिक) + असृज्/असृक् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्वच्/त्वक् (प्रातिपदिक) + मेदस् (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक) + वसा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; multi-member Tatpuruṣa: 'पूयादिभिः अन्वितम्' (endowed with pus, urine, feces, blood, skin, fat, bone, marrow/fatty tissue)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator/speaker in this excerpt (context needed to attribute within the dialogue frame of Svarga-khaṇḍa 61).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Attachment to form is undermined by contemplating the body’s impure constituents; without ātma-jñāna, ‘love’ for mere form is delusion.

Application: Use measured contemplation (not hatred) to reduce compulsive desire: remember impermanence and bodily composition; redirect attention to mantra, seva, and sattvic relationships grounded in dharma.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A contemplative ascetic sits beside a still pool, holding a palm-leaf text, while a faint, translucent anatomical overlay of the human form appears in the air—symbolic, not graphic—showing the body as a composite of impure elements. The background remains serene: lotus leaves, a quiet hermitage, and a distant Vishnu shrine, emphasizing that the purpose is detachment leading to devotion.","primary_figures":["ascetic teacher (unnamed)","symbolic human form (translucent)","Vishnu shrine icon (small, background)"],"setting":"Hermitage by a forest pond with lotus pads, kusa grass, water pot, and a small stone altar.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["ash gray","indigo","pale lotus pink","sage green","silver white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central ascetic with calm eyes, gold-leaf halo around a small Vishnu icon in the background; symbolic translucent figure rendered as a subtle outline (non-gory), with inscriptions of ‘त्वङ् मेदः अस्थि’ motifs; rich maroon border, embossed gold for spiritual focus rather than the body.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: quiet night scene by a pond, delicate lines; the ‘body-composite’ shown as a faint mist-figure with Sanskrit labels; cool blues and silvers, gentle lotus reflections, emphasizing contemplative restraint.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: ascetic in stylized posture with bold outlines; symbolic overlay figure in pale pigment; background shrine lamp glowing; red-yellow-green palette subdued with dark indigo night field.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional border of lotuses and Tulasi leaves framing a central ascetic; a small Krishna/Vishnu shrine motif at top; the translucent figure appears like a cloud-form with calligraphic Sanskrit, deep blue cloth with gold highlights."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["night insects","still water ambience","soft conch (very distant)","low tanpura","long pauses"]}

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्नेहात्मज्ञानरहितं → स्नेह-आत्म-ज्ञान-रहितम्. नारीरूपं → नारी-रूपम्. पूयमूत्रपुरीषासृक्त्वङ्मेदोस्थिवसान्वितम् → पूय-मूत्र-पुरीष-असृक्-त्वक्-मेदस्-अस्थि-वसा-अन्वितम् (internal sandhi and consonant assimilation).

FAQs

What is the central teaching of this verse?

It promotes vairāgya (dispassion) by analyzing bodily attraction as attachment to impermanent physical constituents rather than to ātma-jñāna (Self-knowledge).

Does the verse condemn women specifically or bodily identification in general?

The rhetorical focus is on attraction to a bodily form; the philosophical thrust aligns with broader Purāṇic and ascetic critiques of deha-abhimāna (identification with the body) and sense-driven attachment.

How is this verse used in a practical ethical or spiritual context?

It is used to counter lust and infatuation by reminding the practitioner to prioritize inner virtues and Self-knowledge over external appearance, supporting disciplines like brahmacarya and mental restraint.