Shloka 38

The Account of Sukalā (Vena-Episode Continuation): Padmāvatī, Gobhila’s Deception, and the Threat of a Curse

Devanagari script

सखीभिः सहिता गत्वा औत्सुक्येन नृपात्मजा । अशोकच्छायामाश्रित्य विमले सुशिलातले

Transliteration

sakhībhiḥ sahitā gatvā autsukyena nṛpātmajā | aśokacchāyāmāśritya vimale suśilātale

Translation

Acompañada de sus amigas, la hija del rey fue con ansiosa expectación y, refugiándose en la sombra de un árbol aśoka, permaneció sobre una losa de piedra limpia y hermosa.

Word by Word

• सखीभिः: with (her) female friends
• सखीभिः: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• सहिता: accompanied
• सहिता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (कृदन्त; √सह् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त; agreeing with नृपात्मजा

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• औत्सुक्येन: out of eagerness
• औत्सुक्येन: Hetu/Kāraṇa (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औत्सुक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• नृपात्मजा: the king’s daughter
• नृपात्मजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + आत्मजा (प्रातिपदिक); आत्मजा < आत्मन् + जा (√जन्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नृपस्य आत्मजा)

• अशोकच्छायाम्: the shade of an aśoka tree
• अशोकच्छायाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशोक + छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अशोकस्य छाया)

• आश्रित्य: having taken refuge in / resorting to
• आश्रित्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √श्रि (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: अव्यय; ल्यबन्त (gerund)

• विमले: clean, pure
• विमले: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agreeing with सुशिलातले

• सुशिलातले: on a fine stone surface
• सुशिलातले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + शिला + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-सदृश समास: ‘सु-शिला’ (good stone) + ‘तल’ (surface)

Speaker

Narrator (context not specified in the provided excerpt)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sattva is mirrored in surroundings: purity (vimala) and auspicious shelter (aśoka) support right intention and devotional longing.

Application: Create a clean, calm place for prayer/vrata—simple purity of space and company steadies the mind and deepens devotion.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shringara

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: forest

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A princess, surrounded by close friends, moves with eager steps into a tranquil grove and pauses beneath an aśoka tree heavy with buds. She sits on a spotless, polished stone-slab platform, her posture poised between hope and restraint, as if awaiting a dharmic destiny.","primary_figures":["the king’s daughter (princess)","her sakhīs (female companions)"],"setting":"aśoka tree shade over a clean stone platform, flowering creepers, soft grass, distant palace garden boundary","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["asoka blossom orange","ivory white","leaf green","vermillion","pearl gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: princess with sakhīs under an aśoka tree, seated on a gleaming stone platform; gold leaf on jewelry, tree aureole, and border; rich reds/greens, ornate textiles, stylized garden architecture behind.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate garden-grove with an aśoka tree, refined feminine figures in pastel garments; cool shadows, lyrical naturalism, fine facial features, small flowering details and birds.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; the aśoka tree rendered as stylized foliage canopy; princess and companions in traditional attire with strong red-yellow-green palette, temple-garden aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral borders and lotus motifs framing the grove; central seated princess under a stylized tree, peacocks at corners, deep blues and gold highlights, intricate textile patterns."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["rustling leaves","soft anklet chime","distant birds","gentle breeze"]}

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: अशोकच्छायामाश्रित्य = अशोकच्छायाम् + आश्रित्य (म् + आ → मा).

Characters & Entities

• nṛpātmajā (princess)
• sakhī (female friends)
• aśoka (tree)

FAQs

Who is described in this verse, and what is she doing?

The verse describes a princess (nṛpātmajā) who, accompanied by her friends, goes eagerly and sits/rests in the shade of an aśoka tree on a clean, beautiful stone platform.

What is the significance of the aśoka tree in Sanskrit literature?

The aśoka is commonly associated with love, longing, and auspicious garden settings in classical Sanskrit narratives; here it functions as a serene, sheltered spot for the princess and her companions.

What mood or atmosphere does this verse establish in the narrative?

It establishes a gentle, anticipatory mood—eagerness (autsukya) within a calm natural setting (tree shade, spotless stone platform), preparing the scene for subsequent events.