Shloka 5
The Account of Sukalā (within the Vena Episode): Truth-Power and the Testing of a Devoted Wife
एतदर्थं विचार्यैव जिष्णुः कंदर्पमब्रवीत् । त्वया सह गमिष्यामि द्रष्टुं तां कृकलप्रियाम्
etadarthaṃ vicāryaiva jiṣṇuḥ kaṃdarpamabravīt | tvayā saha gamiṣyāmi draṣṭuṃ tāṃ kṛkalapriyām
Après avoir ainsi considéré ce dessein, Jiṣṇu dit à Kandarpa : « J’irai avec toi voir cette femme, chère au caméléon ».
Jiṣṇu (addressing Kandarpa/Kāma)
Concept: Before acting, reflect on purpose; then seek direct encounter rather than relying on hearsay.
Application: Clarify intention, then verify through direct observation; keep desire accountable to ethics.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Jiṣṇu, resolute and armored with divine confidence, turns to Kandarpa—youthful, flower-bowed, and radiant—inviting him to accompany the journey. In the background, a sky-road descends toward an earthly grove where a mysterious woman awaits, hinted by a distant silhouette amid shifting leaves.","primary_figures":["Jiṣṇu","Kandarpa (Kāma)","The unnamed woman (distant/foreshadowed)"],"setting":"Threshold between Svarga and earth: cloud stairways, a descending beam-path, and an earthly forest canopy below.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["midnight blue","silver","rose pink","gold","forest green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Jiṣṇu in heroic stance with gold halo, addressing Kāma holding a sugarcane bow and flower arrows; gold leaf cloud-arches, rich crimson and green garments, ornate jewelry, a small vignette below showing the forest destination and the hinted woman.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: elegant two-figure dialogue on a cloud terrace, Kāma delicate and youthful, Jiṣṇu firm and purposeful; cool nocturne palette, fine linework, distant forest rendered with lyrical softness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined Jiṣṇu and Kāma, stylized cloud steps descending to a green forest band; strong reds/yellows/greens, patterned borders, iconic eye shapes.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral border with lotus and creepers, central figures Jiṣṇu and Kāma, peacocks at corners; deep indigo ground with gold highlights, a lower panel showing the forest grove destination with dense decorative foliage."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft drum pulse","wind over clouds","distant birds from the forest below","brief conch accent"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विचार्यैव = विचार्य + एव; कंदर्पमब्रवीत् = कन्दर्पम् + अब्रवीत्.
FAQs
Kandarpa is Kāma, the deity associated with desire and attraction; here he is directly addressed by Jiṣṇu.
It literally means “beloved of a kṛkala,” where kṛkala commonly denotes a chameleon or lizard; in context it functions as an identifying epithet for the woman being sought.
The verse highlights deliberation before action (“having reflected on the purpose”) and then decisive, cooperative movement—Jiṣṇu chooses to proceed with Kandarpa to verify matters directly by seeing for himself.