Shloka 19
The Greatness of Worshiping Rādhā and Dāmodara
Kārttika Observances and Their Fruit
कलिप्रियोवाच । स्वकीयं स्वामिनं हत्वा चागता परपूरुषम् । तं जारं स्वामिनं दैवात्शार्दूलो भक्षयन्मम । किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि विधात्रा वंचितास्म्यहम्
kalipriyovāca | svakīyaṃ svāminaṃ hatvā cāgatā parapūruṣam | taṃ jāraṃ svāminaṃ daivātśārdūlo bhakṣayanmama | kiṃ karomi kva gacchāmi vidhātrā vaṃcitāsmyaham
കലിപ്രിയ പറഞ്ഞു—എന്റെ സ്വന്തം സ്വാമിയെ വധിച്ച് ഞാൻ പരപുരുഷന്റെ അടുക്കൽ ചെന്നു. എന്നാൽ ദൈവവശാൽ എന്റെ ആ ജാരനെ വ്യാഘ്രം ഭക്ഷിച്ചു. ഞാൻ എന്തു ചെയ്യും, എവിടെ പോകും? വിധാതാവ് എന്നെ വഞ്ചിച്ചു।
Kalipriyā
Concept: Adharma (betrayal and violence) rebounds as compounded suffering; blaming fate cannot erase moral causality.
Application: Own one’s wrongdoing without shifting blame to ‘fate’; seek atonement through truthful confession, restraint, and turning to sattvika worship rather than repeating harm.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A distraught woman stands at the edge of a shadowed forest path, hair loosened, ornaments disordered, hands lifted in anguished questioning. In the distance, a tiger’s silhouette fades into dusk near a fallen figure, while above, a cold, indifferent sky suggests the weight of karma and inevitability.","primary_figures":["Kalipriyā","tiger (śārdūla)","the slain lover (implied)"],"setting":"forest margin near a deserted path leading back toward a village; scattered leaves, broken bangles, and a faint trail of footprints","lighting_mood":"stormy twilight with harsh contrasts","color_palette":["indigo black","ash gray","blood maroon","dull gold","forest green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Kalipriyā in the foreground with expressive eyes and dramatic hand gestures, heavy gold-leaf jewelry now disheveled; a stylized tiger in the mid-ground; ornate but somber border motifs of lotus and thorn-vines; rich maroons and deep greens with selective gold leaf highlighting tears and ornaments, South Indian iconographic facial symmetry but emotionally charged posture.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical forest scene with delicate brushwork—Kalipriyā in pale garments stained at the hem, standing on a winding path; the tiger rendered with fine stripes near a distant fallen figure; cool dusk palette, misty hills behind, refined facial features showing remorse; sparse trees with trembling leaves to mirror inner turmoil.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments—Kalipriyā with enlarged expressive eyes, hands raised in lament; tiger as a symbolic force of karma; background of stylized forest and dark sky bands; dominant reds, yellows, greens subdued with earthy browns, temple-wall aesthetic emphasizing moral drama.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative panel framed by intricate floral borders—Kalipriyā at left in lament, forest motifs and a tiger at right; lotus medallions turned downward to signify fallen dharma; deep blues and maroons with gold detailing; subtle inclusion of a distant temple silhouette to foreshadow return to devotion despite the dark episode."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["distant thunder","rustling forest leaves","ominous silence","low temple bell (far away)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कलिप्रियोवाच → कलिप्रियः + उवाच; चागता → च + आगता; दैवात्शार्दूलो → दैवात् + शार्दूलः; भक्षयन्मम → भक्षयन् + मम; वंचितास्म्यहम् → वञ्चिता + अस्मि + अहम्.
FAQs
It portrays the destructive consequences of grave wrongdoing (killing one’s spouse and pursuing a paramour) and the resulting despair, while also showing a tendency to blame fate rather than accept moral responsibility.
It reflects her anguish and confusion: despite acting for personal desire, she experiences sudden loss and interprets it as a cosmic betrayal—an example of misattributing the fruits of karma to external fate.
The verse warns against adharma—especially betrayal and violence within marriage—and implies that harmful actions lead to suffering, urging accountability and a return to righteous conduct.