Shloka 31
Womb-Suffering and the Path to Liberation
Dialogue of Wisdom, Meditation, and Discernment
तमुवाच तदात्मा वै कामक्रोधविवर्जितम् । को भवान्नग्नरूपेण कथं मित्रैर्न लज्जसे
tamuvāca tadātmā vai kāmakrodhavivarjitam | ko bhavānnagnarūpeṇa kathaṃ mitrairna lajjase
ત્યારે આત્મસંયમી, કામ-ક્રોધવિહોણા પુરુષે તેને કહ્યું—“તું કોણ છે, આ નગ્ન રૂપે? અને મિત્રોની સામે તને લાજ કેમ નથી આવતી?”
Unspecified (a self-possessed person addressing another person)
Concept: The detached one questions social shame and identity: nakedness becomes a test of whether one is ruled by desire/anger or by inner freedom.
Application: Use moments of embarrassment as inquiry: ‘What identity am I protecting?’ Cultivate self-control (kāma-krodha-vivarjana) and align conduct with inner values rather than peer pressure.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: hasya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A calm ascetic, eyes clear and posture steady, addresses a naked wanderer standing unashamed among a small group of onlookers. The onlookers’ faces show mixed reactions—mockery, curiosity, discomfort—while the ascetic’s question hangs in the air like a bell tone, turning the scene into a mirror of social conditioning.","primary_figures":["self-possessed ascetic (kāma-krodha-vivarjita)","naked wanderer (digambara-like)","companions/onlookers"],"setting":"village edge near a banyan tree and a small shrine platform, with a path leading to forest","lighting_mood":"bright midday clarity with sharp shadows","color_palette":["sunlit white","banyan green","terracotta","indigo cloth accents","warm skin tones"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: ascetic seated on a small pedestal under a banyan, gesturing in inquiry toward a digambara wanderer; gold leaf highlights on the shrine lamp and sacred thread motifs, rich reds/greens in the crowd’s garments, expressive faces, traditional South Indian framing with ornate border.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined village scene with delicate banyan leaves, a small group of companions in colorful garments, and the naked wanderer rendered with dignified restraint; the ascetic’s calm face contrasts with the crowd’s subtle humor, cool balanced palette and lyrical composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined figures—ascetic and digambara—set against a stylized banyan and shrine; strong reds/yellows/greens, dramatic facial expressions for onlookers, decorative border emphasizing the moral inquiry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic tableau—central questioning sage, surrounding ring of faces showing shame, laughter, and wonder; lotus motifs at the border, deep blues and gold; include subtle śaṅkha-cakra motifs to suggest that inner devotion, not outer dress, is the true ornament."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["village ambience","rustling banyan leaves","light laughter fading into silence","single temple bell strike"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तमुवाच = तम् + उवाच (म् + उ → मुव); भवान्नग्नरूपेण = भवान् + नग्नरूपेण (न् + न → न्न); मित्रैर्न = मित्रैः + न (विसर्ग/रुत्वसन्धि: ः → र्)।
FAQs
It contrasts inner self-mastery (freedom from desire and anger) with social-moral accountability, questioning conduct that disregards modesty and communal norms.
It frames the speaker as disciplined and impartial, implying the inquiry is corrective and principled rather than driven by passion or hostility.
Not in the provided line alone; it presents a dialogue moment without naming the characters, so identification depends on the surrounding verses of Bhūmi-khaṇḍa, Adhyaya 8.