Shloka 68
Episode of Vena: The Power of Association and Revā (Narmadā) Tīrtha
सुशंखस्ताडितो विप्रा मृत्योश्चैव हि कन्यया । ततः क्रुद्धो महातेजाः शशाप तनुमध्यमाम्
suśaṃkhastāḍito viprā mṛtyoścaiva hi kanyayā | tataḥ kruddho mahātejāḥ śaśāpa tanumadhyamām
Wahai para brāhmana, Suśaṅkha dipukul oleh sang gadis yang sesungguhnya berwujud Maut. Maka ia yang bercahaya perkasa itu, murka, mengutuk gadis berpinggang ramping itu.
Unknown (context needed; likely a narrator addressing brāhmaṇas)
Concept: Tapas generates tejas; when dharma is violated, that tejas can manifest as śāpa (curse) to restore moral balance.
Application: Recognize that actions against the innocent rebound; cultivate humility in sacred spaces and toward holy persons; seek atonement quickly after wrongdoing.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Suśaṅkha, bruised yet blazing with ascetic radiance, rises in a surge of righteous anger. Before him stands the slender-waisted maiden—revealed as Mṛtyu—caught between human form and an uncanny shadow of inevitability, as the curse is about to be spoken like a thunderbolt of dharma.","primary_figures":["Suśaṅkha (mahātejas tapasvin)","the maiden (kanyā) identified with Mṛtyu","brāhmaṇa onlookers (optional, as addressed)"],"setting":"forest clearing with sacred fire pit, tall sal trees, scattered ascetic implements; air charged with spiritual electricity","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["fiery gold","charcoal black","crimson","emerald green","ivory"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Suśaṅkha with a brilliant gold-leaf aura, right hand raised in pronouncement of śāpa; the maiden rendered with contrasting dark tones and delicate ornaments, rich reds and greens, dramatic symmetry, ornate lotus border, gold highlights on flames and sacred implements.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intense yet refined scene; the ascetic’s luminous face and controlled fury, the maiden’s slender silhouette with a hint of otherworldly shadow; cool forest greens with sharp gold accents, delicate foliage and a charged stillness before the curse lands.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, expressive eyes; Suśaṅkha’s tejas shown as a bright halo, the maiden with darker shading; stylized trees and fire altar, strong red-yellow-green palette with black to heighten raudra rasa.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central dramatic panel framed by intricate floral borders; Suśaṅkha’s curse gesture emphasized, the maiden poised in tension; deep blue-green background with gold detailing, lotus motifs and subtle shankha-chakra patterns to suggest dharmic authority, peacocks frozen mid-step."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell (single blow)","drum roll","crackling fire","wind gust","sudden hush"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सुशंखस्ताडितो = सुशंखः + ताडितः; मृत्योश्चैव = मृत्योः + च + एव; तनुमध्यमाम् समासः (तनु + मध्यम) ।
FAQs
The verse describes Death (Mṛtyu) as personified in the form of a maiden (kanyā), a common Purāṇic narrative device to make abstract forces into characters.
Suśaṅkha is struck by the maiden identified with Death, and then a powerful figure (mahātejāḥ), angered, pronounces a curse upon the slender-waisted maiden.
It highlights the Purāṇic theme that anger (krodha) can lead to punitive speech (śāpa), which often drives karmic consequences and plot developments in dharma narratives.