Shloka 48
Instruction on All Dharma
in the context of Rāma’s Aśvamedha
आर्षे विवाहे गोद्वंद्वं यदुक्तं तत्प्रशस्यते । शुल्कमण्वपि कन्यायाः कन्याक्रेतुस्तु पापकृत्
ārṣe vivāhe godvaṃdvaṃ yaduktaṃ tatpraśasyate | śulkamaṇvapi kanyāyāḥ kanyākretustu pāpakṛt
アールシャ婚においては、定められた一対の牛が称賛される。しかし娘のためにたとえ僅かな代価を取るなら、「処女を買う者」は罪をなす者となる。
Not explicitly identifiable from the single verse excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses of Pātālakhaṇḍa 5.9).
Concept: Ārṣa-vivāha’s symbolic gift (a pair of cattle) is praised, but commodifying a bride through śulka (bride-price) is condemned as sin—marriage must not become trade.
Application: Reject transactional attitudes in relationships; keep marriage rites centered on consent, dignity, and dharmic responsibility rather than financial extraction.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A village wedding scene is split symbolically: on one side, a simple Ārṣa marriage with two gentle cattle offered respectfully to the bride’s family; on the other, a shadowed figure counts coins, representing the condemned bride-price. A sage stands between, palm raised in admonition, restoring dharmic balance.","primary_figures":["sage adjudicator","bride and groom","two cattle (cow and bull)","family elders","a merchant-like figure symbolizing ‘kanyā-kretā’ (buyer)"],"setting":"open wedding pavilion with sacred fire, garlands, and community witnesses","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["marigold orange","sacred ash gray","leaf green","ivory white","copper brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: wedding maṇḍapa with agni-kunda, richly ornamented yet ethically centered scene; gold leaf highlights on garlands and fire, two cattle rendered with auspicious markings; the ‘coin-counting’ figure pushed to the margin in darker tones, sage with gold halo signaling dharma.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical wedding pavilion with delicate figures, soft natural palette, two cattle calmly standing near the ritual space, a sage’s gentle but firm gesture; the transactional element shown as a small vignette in muted browns, emphasizing moral contrast without harshness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, ceremonial reds and yellows, stylized agni and cattle, sage in commanding posture; the condemned act depicted as a dark corner motif with coins, strong didactic composition like a temple moral panel.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral borders, central wedding fire with symmetrical composition, cows as auspicious motifs, deep blue background with gold detailing; the ‘bride-price’ motif shown as a small sidelined panel, visually subordinated to dharmic ritual beauty."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["wedding drums (mṛdaṅga) softened","fire crackle","murmured mantras","brief stern cadence","cattle bells"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यदुक्तं = यत् + उक्तम्; तत्प्रशस्यते = तत् + प्रशस्यते; शुल्कमण्वपि = शुल्कम् + अणु + अपि; कन्याक्रेतुस्तु = कन्याक्रेतुः + तु।
FAQs
It approves the traditional, limited gift of a pair of cattle in the Ārṣa form of marriage as a sanctioned offering rather than a commercial transaction.
It condemns taking even a small bride-price for a daughter, characterizing the act as treating the bride as property and calling the ‘buyer’ sinful.
It distinguishes symbolic, dharmic gifts from commodification of a person, teaching that marriage should not be reduced to purchase or sale.