Shloka 48
The Account of Kāṣṭhīlā (Kāṣṭhīlā-ākhyāna) within the Mohinī Narrative
सा मुक्ता ताडितेनेत्थं वायसेन वरानने । सक्षता तुंडसंस्पृष्टा न च शक्ता पलायितुम् ॥ ४८ ॥
sā muktā tāḍitenetthaṃ vāyasena varānane | sakṣatā tuṃḍasaṃspṛṣṭā na ca śaktā palāyitum || 48 ||
O fair-faced lady, thus struck by the crow she was set free; yet, wounded and touched by its beak, she was not able to flee.
Narrator (Purāṇic discourse; likely Sūta conveying the account)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It highlights the immediate consequence of harm and vulnerability within a moral narrative—showing how a being, even when momentarily freed, can remain bound by the results of prior contact (injury), a common Purāṇic way of illustrating karma and the need for protection through dharma.
This specific verse is primarily narrative and does not directly teach bhakti practices; indirectly, such episodes in the Uttara-bhāga often prepare the listener to seek refuge and protection through devotion and righteous conduct when worldly strength fails.
No explicit Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa ritual detail) is taught in this verse; it functions as a storyline unit supporting the larger dharma/mahātmya context.