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
Écoute, ô seigneur, ce récit charmant du désir. Bois l’amṛta désiré même par les cohortes des devas. Et, parvenu au jardin nommé Nandana, réjouis-toi là, ô maître, en compagnie de belles femmes.
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.