Shloka 57
The Deeds of Sukalā (Vena Episode): Husband as Tīrtha & Pativratā-Dharma
वृथा शोषयसे कायं वृथाशोकं करोषि वै । वृथा त्वं तप्यसे बाले वृथा भोगान्परित्यजेः
vṛthā śoṣayase kāyaṃ vṛthāśokaṃ karoṣi vai | vṛthā tvaṃ tapyase bāle vṛthā bhogānparityajeḥ
あなたはいたずらに体を痩せ細らせ、いたずらに悲しみに耽っています。少女よ、あなたが自分を苦しめるのも、楽しみを捨てるのも、すべて無益なことです。
Unspecified (context needed from surrounding verses in Bhūmi-khaṇḍa 2.41)
Concept: Grief-driven self-torment and forced renunciation without insight are futile; steadiness and discernment are superior to performative suffering.
Application: Do not punish the body to prove love or sorrow; keep daily duties, eat and rest appropriately, and channel emotion into prayer, japa, and service.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stern yet compassionate elder woman gestures toward a mirror and a food tray, showing the young girl her own hollow cheeks. The background holds a small shrine lamp, suggesting that devotion should replace self-harm, while the elder’s hand posture conveys measured instruction rather than harshness.","primary_figures":["admonishing elder woman","young girl (bāle)"],"setting":"Interior of a modest home with a low altar, oil lamp, and a simple meal set on a leaf plate; a window reveals a distant pilgrim road.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["amber lamp-glow","smoky brown","ivory","deep maroon","muted teal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: an elder woman instructs a grieving girl beside a small home shrine with a bright oil lamp; the girl’s thin frame and downcast eyes contrast with the elder’s composed mudra; gold leaf highlights on lamp flame, jewelry, and shrine arch, rich maroon-green textiles, ornate border motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate indoor counsel scene, elder pointing gently to a simple meal and the girl’s face, soft shading on cheeks, delicate textiles, a small shrine niche; cool restrained palette with lyrical linework and refined expressions.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, expressive eyes, elder in teaching posture (upadeśa-mudra), girl seated with folded knees; stylized lamp and shrine, warm red-yellow-green pigments, rhythmic decorative patterns on walls.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: domestic scene framed by floral borders and lotus motifs, a small shrine with hanging bells, the elder guiding the girl toward balanced living; deep blue ground with gold accents, intricate textile patterns, peacocks perched near the window as symbolic witnesses."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["single temple bell","low drone (tanpura)","soft indoor silence","lamp crackle"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वृथाशोकं = वृथा + शोकम् (स्वर-सन्धि/पदसंयोग); भोगान्परित्यजेः = भोगान् + परित्यजेः (न् + प् → न्प्).
FAQs
It criticizes self-harm through excessive austerity and unproductive grief, urging a more meaningful, dharmic response rather than futile suffering.
Not necessarily; it condemns renunciation that is merely reactive or despair-driven. The point is that abandoning pleasures without wisdom or purpose is also “fruitless.”
It frames the counsel as compassionate instruction to someone inexperienced or overwhelmed, emphasizing guidance, emotional steadiness, and purposeful conduct over extremes.