Shloka 44
Instruction on All Dharma
in the context of Rāma’s Aśvamedha
तत्र गच्छेत्स्त्रियं मोहाद्धर्मात्प्रच्यवते परात् । ऋतुकालाभिगामी यः स्वदारनिरतश्च यः
tatra gacchetstriyaṃ mohāddharmātpracyavate parāt | ṛtukālābhigāmī yaḥ svadāranirataśca yaḥ
Celui qui, par égarement, va vers la femme d’autrui déchoit de la voie suprême du dharma. Mais celui qui s’approche (de son épouse) au temps convenable et demeure fidèle à la sienne agit justement.
Unspecified (contextual narrator within Padma Purana; exact dialogue pair not determinable from a single verse)
Concept: Adultery causes a fall from the highest dharma; fidelity and seasonally regulated marital conduct are righteous.
Application: Commit to fidelity; avoid situations that cultivate delusion (moha) and boundary erosion; strengthen marriage through shared worship, vows, and accountability.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dramatic moral tableau: on one side, a shadowed figure reaches toward another man’s wife, but a blazing dharma-flame rises between them, and the path behind him crumbles into darkness. On the other side, a devoted couple stands before a Viṣṇu altar, hands joined, bathed in calm light, symbolizing the ‘supreme path’ preserved by fidelity.","primary_figures":["tempted man (symbolic)","another man’s wife (symbolic)","devoted husband and wife","Viṣṇu (altar icon)","personified Dharma (as flame or radiant guardian)"],"setting":"Split-scene moral allegory: dark corridor of temptation vs lamp-lit shrine space.","lighting_mood":"dramatic chiaroscuro","color_palette":["midnight blue","ash black","flame orange","saffron gold","lotus pink"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: allegorical split composition—left side dark with a deluded man approaching parastrī, right side luminous with a faithful couple before Viṣṇu; gold leaf used for the dharma-flame barrier and Viṣṇu halo, rich crimson and emerald garments, ornate arch framing the righteous side, strong iconographic contrast between vice and virtue.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined moral narrative—softly painted figures, a shadowed grove for temptation and a delicate shrine courtyard for fidelity; cool blues and warm golds, lyrical trees, expressive yet restrained faces, a subtle crumbling path motif indicating dharma-fall.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and symbolic color blocks—dark tones for moha, bright reds/yellows for dharma; Viṣṇu icon in a niche with stylized eyes; a flame-like Dharma guardian between figures; temple-wall gravitas and clear didactic symbolism.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Viṣṇu shrine with ornate lotus border; the faithful couple placed symmetrically; the transgressive scene reduced to a shadow vignette at the border, with a gold flame motif separating; deep blue cloth, intricate floral filigree, peacocks subdued to keep moral focus."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp bell strike","conch accent","low drum pulse","sudden silence after warning"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: gacchet + striyam → gacchetstriyaṃ; mohāt + dharmāt → mohāddharmāt; dharmāt + pracyavate → dharmātpracyavate; nirataḥ + ca → nirataśca.
FAQs
It condemns approaching another man’s wife as a delusion-driven act that causes a fall from dharma, while praising fidelity to one’s own wife.
It refers to the appropriate conjugal time/season (traditionally linked with fertility and household dharma), indicating regulated, dharma-aligned marital conduct.
It frames marital fidelity and disciplined sexuality as essential components of household righteousness, contrasting them with adharma arising from illicit relations.