Shloka 118
The Birth of King Pṛthu: Vena’s Fall, the Sages’ Churning, and Earth’s Surrender
अहं नारी अवध्या च प्रायश्चित्ती भविष्यसि । अवध्यां तु स्त्रियं प्राहुस्तिर्यग्योनिगतामपि
ahaṃ nārī avadhyā ca prāyaścittī bhaviṣyasi | avadhyāṃ tu striyaṃ prāhustiryagyonigatāmapi
«Soy mujer y, por ello, no debo ser muerta; tú, en cambio, incurrirás en expiación. Pues declaran inviolable a una mujer, aun si ha caído en un vientre de animal.»
Unspecified (a female speaker addressing another person in a narrative dialogue context)
Concept: Women are declared avadhyā (not to be slain); violence against them incurs prāyaścitta, emphasizing protective ethics and restraint of punitive power.
Application: Adopt non-violent, restorative responses; recognize protected classes and the moral weight of power over the vulnerable.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A resolute woman stands before an armed authority, her posture unshaken, declaring her inviolability; the air crackles with moral force rather than physical threat. Behind her, symbolic imagery shows a scale of justice and a shadowy specter of prāyaścitta, warning of the spiritual cost of violence.","primary_figures":["a woman speaker","a king/judge or armed authority","attendants/guards","symbolic figure of Dharma (optional allegory)"],"setting":"court of justice with a visible dharma emblem—scales, scripture stand, and a protective threshold line the woman does not cross","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["midnight blue","silver gray","crimson red","saffron","stone white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a powerful strī-dharma courtroom tableau, gold leaf highlighting the dharma emblem and jewelry, the woman centered with commanding gaze, the ruler’s weapon lowered, rich reds and greens, ornate borders with lotus and chakra motifs, embossed gold signifying moral authority.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate ethical confrontation with delicate expressions, cool moonlit palette, refined textiles, the woman’s calm strength contrasted with the authority’s hesitation, subtle background symbols of justice and expiation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and intense pigments, the woman’s face large-eyed and resolute, the authority figure framed by attendants, dharma symbols in side panels, temple-wall symmetry emphasizing inviolability and moral law.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic protection theme—lotus borders and floral vines, central figure of the woman under a canopy-like arch, stylized dharma motifs, deep blues and gold, intricate patterns suggesting sanctity of life and restraint of violence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp bell strike","courtroom hush","distant thunder (symbolic)","long silence after the warning"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्राहुस् तिर्यग्योनिगतामपि = प्राहुः + तिर्यग्योनिगताम् + अपि
FAQs
It asserts the principle of inviolability (avadhyatva) regarding a woman and frames harm against her as requiring prāyaścitta (atonement), emphasizing restraint and ethical accountability.
It means “even if she has entered an animal womb,” i.e., even if her birth is in a non-human form; the verse extends the notion of protected status beyond ordinary social categories in the statement’s own logic.
It means “you will become one who must perform expiation,” indicating that the act contemplated or attempted is treated as a transgression requiring ritual/ethical atonement rather than being permitted.