Shloka 86
The Bhīma-Dvādaśī
Kalyāṇinī) Vow and the Anangadāna-Vrata (with a Courtesan-Conduct Discourse
हृतासु कृष्णपत्नीषु दाशभोग्यासु चार्बुदे । तिष्ठंतीषु च दौर्गत्यसंतप्तासु चतुर्मुख
hṛtāsu kṛṣṇapatnīṣu dāśabhogyāsu cārbude | tiṣṭhaṃtīṣu ca daurgatyasaṃtaptāsu caturmukha
Wahai Brahmā bermuka empat, ketika para isteri Kṛṣṇa diculik dan ditahan di Arbuda untuk dijadikan pemuas nafsu para nelayan, mereka tetap berada di sana, hangus oleh derita kemalangan dan kesempitan.
Uncertain from single-verse context (addressing Brahmā as 'caturmukha')
Concept: In the Lord’s manifest absence, adharma can overrun even revered households; suffering becomes a spur toward remedial dharma (vrata, refuge, purification).
Application: Respond to social breakdown with renewed ethical discipline, community protection, and spiritual practices; avoid triumphalism—misfortune can strike any station.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: mountain
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On the rugged slopes of Arbuda, a fortified encampment of fisherfolk holds the abducted queens of Kṛṣṇa in sorrowful captivity. The women sit in torn finery, eyes downcast yet dignified, while the harsh revelry of their captors contrasts with the mountain’s ancient sanctity; above, Brahmā is invoked as if the very cosmos is being asked to witness this injustice.","primary_figures":["Kṛṣṇa’s wives (queens of Dvārakā)","fisherfolk captors (dāśa)","Brahmā (Caturmukha, invoked presence)"],"setting":"Rocky mountain terrain of Arbuda with sparse trees, a rough palisade, distant temple silhouette hinting at violated sacred space.","lighting_mood":"moonlit with cold, unforgiving clarity","color_palette":["cold silver","basalt gray","faded crimson","ochre","deep indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: sorrowful queens seated on a low platform, ornaments dulled yet still intricate; captors in the background with coarse nets and torches; a small gilded vignette of Brahmā in the upper corner as invoked witness; gold leaf used for divine elements and remaining royal jewelry, contrasting with dark, oppressive surroundings.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: poignant mountain night scene with delicate rocky textures; queens rendered with refined faces and restrained emotion; captors kept slightly stylized and distant; cool moonlight washes, sparse trees, and a faint temple outline to heighten moral contrast.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: queens in frontal, dignified poses with large expressive eyes; captors in side panels; Brahmā as a small but radiant figure above; bold outlines, strong reds and yellows subdued by dark indigo background, temple-mural narrative clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central group of queens framed by lotus borders that appear wilted; mountain motifs stylized as repeating patterns; upper border includes small icons of Brahmā and Vishnu symbols (cakra/śaṅkha) as absent protection; deep blue cloth with silver-white detailing to evoke moonlight, intricate floral filigree turned somber."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["night wind","distant cries","torch crackle","heavy silence between lines"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: cārbude = ca + arbude; kṛṣṇapatnīṣu = kṛṣṇa-patnīṣu; dāśabhogyāsu = dāśa-bhogyāsu; daurgatyasaṃtaptāsu = daurgatya-saṃtaptāsu.
FAQs
‘Caturmukha’ means “four-faced” and is a common epithet of Brahmā, the creator deity.
Arbuda generally refers to Mount Arbuda (modern Mount Ābu region), a well-known geographic and pilgrimage-linked location in Purāṇic literature.
It depicts the suffering caused by abduction and exploitation, underscoring dharmic condemnation of violence and coercion and the misery (durgati) that follows adharma.