Shloka 73
Account of Kāmākṣā (Bhavānī) at Āhicchatrā
मद्बाणबलनिर्भिन्नश्चंद्रस्तारां गतः पुरा । त्वमप्यहल्यां गतवान्विश्वामित्रस्तु मेनिकाम्
madbāṇabalanirbhinnaścaṃdrastārāṃ gataḥ purā | tvamapyahalyāṃ gatavānviśvāmitrastu menikām
Pada zaman dahulu, Bulan—ditikam oleh kekuatan panahku—telah pergi kepada Tārā. Engkau juga pergi kepada Ahalyā, sedangkan Viśvāmitra pergi kepada Menakā.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed to identify the dialogue frame precisely).
Concept: Even exalted beings fall when desire overrides dharma; karmic consequence and social-ritual order are not suspended by status.
Application: Treat desire as a force needing governance: avoid rationalizing lapses by comparing oneself to powerful figures; cultivate accountability, confession, and corrective vows (prāyaścitta/vrata).
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dramatic, court-like tableau where a speaker lists notorious celestial transgressions as if presenting evidence: the Moon drawn toward Tārā, Indra glancing toward Ahalyā, and Viśvāmitra’s austerity interrupted by Menakā’s dance. The composition feels like a moral mirror—desire’s pull shown as luminous threads tugging even the mighty.","primary_figures":["Candra (Moon-god)","Tārā","Indra","Ahalyā","Viśvāmitra","Menakā","anonymous speaker (deva/attendant)"],"setting":"Mythic celestial-forest liminal space blending a deva-sabhā backdrop with a hermitage grove—half palace pillars, half ascetic trees and kuśa grass.","lighting_mood":"moonlit with sharp divine highlights","color_palette":["silver white","indigo night","lotus pink","burnished gold","ash grey"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a layered mythic panel showing Candra reaching toward Tārā under a silvered moon halo, Indra in jeweled crown turning toward Ahalyā near a hermitage doorway, and Viśvāmitra seated in tapas posture while Menakā dances; heavy gold leaf halos, rich crimson and emerald textiles, gem-studded ornaments, ornate arch framing like a temple maṇḍapa.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate narrative triptych—left: moonlit palace garden with Candra and Tārā; center: quiet āśrama with Ahalyā and Indra in subtle tension; right: Himalayan hermitage with Viśvāmitra’s fire and Menakā’s graceful pose; cool blues and greens, refined faces, lyrical trees and distant peaks.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; three vignettes in a single frieze with expressive eyes—Candra-Tārā under a stylized moon, Indra-Ahalyā at an āśrama threshold, Viśvāmitra-Menakā beside a yajña-kuṇḍa; dominant reds, yellows, greens with gold accents.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic rather than literal—lotus and moon motifs for Candra-Tārā, a hermitage gate motif for Ahalyā, and a tapas-fire motif for Viśvāmitra; intricate floral borders, peacocks and bees as desire-symbols, deep blue ground with gold detailing, subtle Vaishnava moral framing (a small Viṣṇu emblem above as karmic witness)."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple drum","distant conch shell","court murmurs","brief silence after each exemplum"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मद्बाणबलनिर्भिन्नः = मद् + बाण + बल + निर्भिन्नः (समास); निर्भिन्नः (नि-भिद् क्त); निर्भिन्नश्चन्द्रः = निर्भिन्नः + चन्द्रः (ः + च → श्च); चन्द्रस्ताराम् = चन्द्रः + ताराम् (ः + त → स्त); त्वमपि = त्वम् + अपि; अप्यहल्याम् = अपि + अहल्याम् (इ + अ → य); गतवान्विश्वामित्रः = गतवान् + विश्वामित्रः (न् + व → न्व)।
FAQs
It alludes to the Moon (Candra) going to Tārā (connected with the Tārā–Bṛhaspati–Candra episode), to the Ahalyā incident (Ahalyā and Indra tradition), and to Viśvāmitra’s involvement with Menakā (the apsaras sent to distract his tapas).
The verse clusters famous transgressive or temptation-related episodes to highlight how desire can lead even eminent figures into morally compromised actions, implying the need for restraint and discernment.
It presents the speaker’s power as a causal force behind the Moon’s movement toward Tārā, functioning rhetorically to underscore authority while drawing a parallel with other well-known lapses driven by passion.