Shloka 48
The Glory of the Devoted Wife (Pativratā) and the Māṇḍavya Curse: Sunrise Halted and Restored
तस्मिंश्च नगरे रम्ये नित्यं च धनिनो गृहे । पौरेश्च प्रचुरं वित्तं हृतं राज्ञा श्रुतं तदा
tasmiṃśca nagare ramye nityaṃ ca dhanino gṛhe | paureśca pracuraṃ vittaṃ hṛtaṃ rājñā śrutaṃ tadā
അപ്പോൾ ഇങ്ങനെ കേൾക്കപ്പെട്ടു—ആ മനോഹര നഗരത്തിൽ ധനികരുടെ വീടുകളിലും നഗരവാസികളുടെ ഇടയിലും ഉണ്ടായിരുന്ന സമൃദ്ധമായ ധനം രാജാവ് നിത്യവും അപഹരിച്ചുകൊണ്ടിരുന്നു.
Narrator (context not specified in the provided excerpt)
Concept: Royal power divorced from dharma becomes adharma; prosperity without righteousness is unstable and breeds fear.
Application: In leadership roles, treat resources as trust, not entitlement; in civic life, resist normalizing injustice and support ethical governance.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A beautiful city street with carved balconies and bustling markets is overshadowed by the king’s officers confiscating goods from anxious townspeople. Wealth chests are carried away while merchants and householders watch in helpless silence, the city’s charm dimmed by fear.","primary_figures":["King’s officers","Wealthy householders","Townspeople (paura)"],"setting":"A ‘ramya’ urban marketplace with temples in the distance, granaries, and merchant stalls; confiscation scene unfolding publicly.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["dusty saffron","smoke gray","indigo shadow","brass gold","brick red"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: ornate city backdrop with temple gopuram silhouettes, officers seizing chests from merchants, gold leaf highlights on jewelry and architecture, rich reds/greens, dramatic yet devotional moral tableau framed by traditional borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined cityscape with delicate lines, anxious townspeople, officers carrying wealth bundles, muted cool shadows over a once-bright bazaar, lyrical but tense narrative composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized urban scene with bold outlines; officers and townspeople in expressive poses, strong red-yellow-green palette with dark accents to convey oppression, temple motifs in the background.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative city scene framed by floral borders; lotus motifs contrast with the moral decay, deep blues and gold, intricate textile patterns on garments, a distant shrine hinting at divine witness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["murmuring crowd","clinking coins","distant conch shell","heavy footsteps","tense silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तस्मिंश्च = तस्मिन् + च; पौरेश्च = पौरेः + च
FAQs
It describes a city where people hear that the king is repeatedly seizing abundant wealth from both wealthy households and ordinary townspeople.
It implies that unjust confiscation of citizens’ wealth is a serious wrongdoing, contrasting with the dharmic ideal that a king protects subjects and upholds justice rather than exploiting them.
No. This verse is primarily about civic conditions and royal conduct; any bhakti or tirtha themes would depend on the broader Adhyaya context not included in the excerpt.