Shloka 14
Śāpaprāpti (Receiving a Curse) — Mohinī Narrative
असंस्कृता यथा वाणी मर्दिता च यथा चमूम् । हत नाथां तु युवतीं धान्यहीनां प्रजां यथा ॥ १४ ॥
asaṃskṛtā yathā vāṇī marditā ca yathā camūm | hata nāthāṃ tu yuvatīṃ dhānyahīnāṃ prajāṃ yathā || 14 ||
Just as unrefined speech is worthless, and an army that has been crushed is powerless; just as a young woman bereft of her protector is vulnerable, and a people without grain are destitute—so too any practice or rite lacking proper refinement and due means becomes ineffective.
Narada (in instruction, narrative voice within Uttara-Bhaga context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It teaches that dharma and sacred observances must be performed with proper refinement (saṃskāra), right method, and adequate support; otherwise they become as ineffective as defeated forces or a famine-struck society.
By implication, bhakti is not merely emotion but must be cultivated and refined—through disciplined conduct, correct worship, and steady practice—so devotion becomes strong and fruitful rather than weak and unstable.
The stress on “refinement” aligns with Vedanga concerns such as Śikṣā (proper recitation) and Vyākaraṇa (correct language), implying that correctness in speech and procedure supports the efficacy of mantra and ritual.