Shloka 8
Śatrughna’s Entry into Ahicchatrā
Temptation of Sumada and the Goddess’s Boon
शृणुष्व भोः कामकथां मनोहरां । पिबामृतं देवगणादिवांछितम् । उद्यानमासाद्य च नंदनाभिधं । वरांगनाभिर्विहरं कुरु प्रभो
śṛṇuṣva bhoḥ kāmakathāṃ manoharāṃ | pibāmṛtaṃ devagaṇādivāṃchitam | udyānamāsādya ca naṃdanābhidhaṃ | varāṃganābhirviharaṃ kuru prabho
Escucha, oh señor, este encantador relato de deseo. Bebe el amṛta anhelado incluso por las huestes de los devas. Y, al llegar al jardín llamado Nandana, diviértete allí, oh señor, en compañía de hermosas mujeres.
Unspecified (context not provided; verse reads as an invitation/temptation addressed to a 'lord')
Concept: Temptation often arrives as ‘harmless enjoyment’; discernment (viveka) is required to protect vows and spiritual intent.
Application: When offered status, pleasure, or ‘nectar’ of praise, pause and test whether it supports or erodes your commitments.
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An apsaras gestures invitingly toward a jeweled cup of amṛta while the gates of Nandana-vana open behind her—trees heavy with blossoms, parrots and bees swirling in perfumed air. The ‘lord’ stands at the threshold, half-lit, suggesting the inner conflict between vow and indulgence as other celestial women beckon from within the garden.","primary_figures":["Apsarā spokesperson","Group of varāṅganāḥ (celestial maidens)","The addressed ‘prabhu’ (King Sumada or a tapasvī king)"],"setting":"Entrance to Nandana garden in Svarga: flowering pārijāta trees, crystal pathways, lotus ponds, jeweled pavilions.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["parijāta white","coral red","turquoise","amṛta gold","jade green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Svarga’s Nandana gate with ornate arch, gold leaf vines and blossoms; apsarā offering a golden amṛta cup; multiple celestial women in rich silks; the king at the threshold with a restrained posture; heavy gold embellishment, ruby-green textiles, embossed jewelry, haloed figures.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical Nandana garden with delicate pārijāta blossoms, slender apsarās with translucent veils, a small golden cup of nectar; the hero shown in quiet hesitation; cool greens and blues, fine linework, gentle facial expressions, birds and bees rendered with precision.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: frontal apsarā holding amṛta, stylized garden trees and lotus pond; bold outlines, patterned ornaments, warm red-yellow-green palette; the king depicted with composed eyes, emphasizing moral tension.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral borders and lotus ponds; symmetrical garden composition with peacocks and bees; apsarās dancing and one presenting amṛta; deep blue ground with gold floral tracery, textile-like detailing, celebratory yet subtly cautionary mood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["ankle bells","lute (veena)","garden birds","soft laughter","distant conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पिबामृतम् = पिब + अमृतम्; देवगणादिवाञ्छितम् = देवगणादि + वाञ्छितम्; उद्यानमासाद्य = उद्यानम् + आसाद्य; वरांगनाभिर्विहरं = वरांगनाभिः + विहर.
FAQs
Nandana is the famed celestial pleasure-garden associated with Indra’s heaven (Svarga), commonly depicted as a place of delights, divine entertainments, and enjoyment.
Amṛta symbolizes the peak of celestial enjoyment and immortality; invoking it heightens the persuasive force of the invitation by promising what even the devas long for.
Such lines often function as a test of discernment and self-mastery: the lure of pleasure, luxury, and sensuality is portrayed as a potential distraction from dharma, tapas, or spiritual aims.