Shloka 24
Within the Greatness of Guru-tīrtha: The Episode of Nahuṣa and Aśokasundarī
in the Cyavana account
तथा न धावते भद्रे पुंसमन्यं न मन्यते । एनं गंतव्यमावाभ्यां सखीभिर्गृहमेव हि
tathā na dhāvate bhadre puṃsamanyaṃ na manyate | enaṃ gaṃtavyamāvābhyāṃ sakhībhirgṛhameva hi
‘അതുപോലെ, ഹേ ഭദ്രേ! അവൾ ആരുടെയും പിന്നാലെ ഓടുന്നില്ല; മറ്റൊരു പുരുഷനെയും സ്വന്തമെന്നു കരുതുന്നില്ല. അതിനാൽ നാം സഖിമാരോടൊപ്പം തീർച്ചയായും അവന്റെ വീട്ടിലേക്കു പോകണം.’
Unspecified (dialogue context not provided in the excerpt)
Concept: Steadfast exclusivity (ananya-bhāva) and restraint are praised; one should not ‘run after’ many objects of attachment.
Application: Practice single-pointed commitment—avoid scattered desires; keep promises; choose one guiding ideal and return to it daily.
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A refined celestial maiden counsels her companion with calm certainty, gesturing toward a distant, lamp-lit house that symbolizes rightful union. Their attendants—sakhīs—stand in a semicircle, holding garlands and veils, as the decision to go ‘to his house’ settles like a vow.","primary_figures":["Rambhā","sakhī (female companion)","attendant apsarās"],"setting":"A palace corridor opening toward a courtyard path leading to a noble house; carved pillars, lotus motifs, and a threshold marked with auspicious symbols.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lotus pink","sandalwood beige","emerald green","antique gold","deep indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Rambhā and her sakhīs in a palace corridor pointing toward a lamp-lit household threshold, gold leaf embellishment on jewelry and architectural borders, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments, stylized lotus arches, traditional South Indian iconography with ornate halos and embossed gold detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate apsarās in translucent veils conferring softly, a lyrical courtyard path leading to a noble house, cool indigo shadows, refined facial features, floral borders, subtle emotion of fidelity and resolve, fine brushwork and gentle gradients.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, Rambhā and companion in graceful tribhaṅga, warm red-yellow-green palette, palace pillars with lotus medallions, expressive almond eyes, lamp-lit threshold rendered with flat yet vibrant pigments.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a symbolic ‘gṛha’ as sanctified space with lotus motifs and ornate borders, apsarās carrying garlands, peacocks near the courtyard, deep blues and gold, intricate floral frame suggesting auspicious entry and vow-like devotion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft ankle-bells","palace ambience","distant temple bell","night insects","gentle silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पुंसम्+अन्यम्→पुंसमन्यम्; गन्तव्यम्+आवाभ्याम्→गंतव्यमावाभ्याम्; सखीभिः+गृहम्→सखीभिर्गृहम्; गृहम्+एव→गृहमेव।
FAQs
It highlights fidelity and single-minded commitment—she does not pursue others and does not accept another man—prompting an appropriate, socially sanctioned next step: going to his home with companions.
The speaker cannot be identified from this single verse alone; the surrounding verses in Bhūmi-khaṇḍa, Adhyaya 113 are needed to confirm the dialogue participants.
It implies propriety and social witness—approaching a household matter with companions suggests decorum, safety, and communal validation in a sensitive interpersonal situation.