Shloka 10
The Birth of Tāraka and the Prelude to the Deva–Asura War
Topic-based Title
बध्वा ततः सहस्राक्षं पाशेनामोघवर्चसा । मातुरंतिकमागच्छद्व्याधः क्षुद्रमृगं यथा
badhvā tataḥ sahasrākṣaṃ pāśenāmoghavarcasā | māturaṃtikamāgacchadvyādhaḥ kṣudramṛgaṃ yathā
പിന്നീട് അമോഘ തേജസ്സുള്ള പാശം കൊണ്ട് സഹസ്രാക്ഷനെ ബന്ധിച്ച് അവൻ അമ്മയുടെ അടുക്കലെത്തി—വേട്ടക്കാരൻ ചെറിയ മൃഗത്തെ പിടിച്ചു കൊണ്ടുവരുന്നതുപോലെ.
Narrator (contextual narration within the Adhyaya; specific dialogue-speaker not stated in the verse itself)
Concept: Power without compassion degrades the victor: the hunter–prey simile signals moral coarsening and the dehumanization of an enemy.
Application: Avoid treating opponents as prey; even when correcting wrongs, preserve dignity and restraint.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In the jeweled avenues of Svarga, Indra—crowned and radiant—stands bound by a glowing noose that coils like living light, his thousand-eyed epithet suggested through a patterned aura. The daitya victor drags him with cold efficiency, and the scene cuts to the mother’s presence as the captor approaches, the hunter simile made visual by a shadowy overlay of a predator carrying a small deer.","primary_figures":["Daitya captor","Indra (Sahasrākṣa) bound","Diti (awaiting)"],"setting":"Svarga’s celestial courtyard transitioning to the daitya realm—golden pillars, flying apsaras frozen in shock, cloud-streets, and a threshold gate where the mother waits.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance with ominous undertone","color_palette":["celestial gold","icy white","sapphire blue","shadow black","ruby red"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Indra bound with a luminous pāśa rendered in raised gold-leaf relief; the daitya warrior in gem-studded armor leading him; shocked celestial attendants in the background; ornate Svarga architecture with gold embossing, rich reds/greens, and a dramatic border; a subtle secondary vignette of a hunter carrying a small deer integrated into the lower frieze as symbolic commentary.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined celestial courtyard with delicate gold accents; Indra’s restrained dignity despite bondage, the noose painted as thin luminous line; the captor’s stern profile; cool sapphire shadows and pale cloud whites; a faint translucent overlay of hunter-and-deer imagery as an artistic metaphor.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized Indra with patterned ‘thousand-eye’ aura; the pāśa as bright white-gold loop; strong red/yellow/green palette with deep blue background; celestial pillars and attendants simplified into iconic forms; border motifs of animals to echo the hunter simile.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central narrative panel of bound Indra led by the daitya, framed by ornate floral borders; deep blue ground with gold highlights; symbolic animal vignette (hunter with small deer) placed in a corner medallion; intricate patterns, symmetrical ornamentation, and a devotional-cosmic aesthetic despite the conflict."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","metallic clink of armor","hushed gasp of a celestial crowd","low drum","wind over clouds"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पाशेनामोघवर्चसा = पाशेन + अमोघवर्चसा; मातुरंतिकमागच्छद्व्याधः = मातुः + अन्तिकम् + आगच्छत् + व्याधः.
FAQs
‘Sahasrākṣa’ literally means “thousand-eyed” and is a common epithet of Indra, the king of the Devas.
In this narrative context, the pāśa is a binding instrument with “amogha” (unfailing) power, emphasizing irresistible capture and the loss of freedom through overpowering force.
The simile intensifies the humiliation and helplessness of the captured one, portraying a mighty figure reduced to the status of prey—an image often used in Purāṇic storytelling to highlight the consequences of conflict, pride, or fate within cosmic order.