Shloka 15
The Glory of the Devoted Wife (Pativratā) and the Māṇḍavya Curse: Sunrise Halted and Restored
न शक्ता त्वं न चैवाहं मोघं वक्तुं न युज्यते । प्रष्टुं नाधिकरोषीति यथा दीर्घतरोः फलम्
na śaktā tvaṃ na caivāhaṃ moghaṃ vaktuṃ na yujyate | praṣṭuṃ nādhikaroṣīti yathā dīrghataroḥ phalam
Engkau tidak berdaya, dan aku juga tidak; tidak wajar berkata sia-sia. Engkau tiada hak untuk bertanya—seperti buah pada pohon yang terlalu tinggi, sukar dicapai.
Unspecified (context needed to identify the dialogue pair in Adhyaya 51)
Concept: Adhikāra matters: not every question is timely or fit; avoid futile speech and recognize limits of capacity.
Application: Ask questions with readiness and context; if you cannot act on an answer, pause and build capacity first (study, discipline, service).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher-like figure raises a hand in gentle prohibition, pointing toward a towering tree whose fruit hangs far beyond reach. The listener stands below, realizing the gap between desire and capacity, as the forest itself becomes a lesson in eligibility and restraint.","primary_figures":["instructor/speaker","questioner/listener"],"setting":"forest clearing with an immense tree, high branches laden with fruit, kusa grass underfoot","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["bark umber","leaf emerald","sunlit gold","shadow teal","fruit vermilion"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: monumental tree with high-hanging fruit, speaker in authoritative posture with instructive gesture, listener below in humility, gold leaf used to accent the fruit and dawn rays, rich earthy reds/greens, ornate border like a didactic panel.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tall tree dominating the composition, delicate leaves and tiny fruit, two figures in conversation at the base, cool mountain greens and soft gold light, refined expressions conveying restraint and realization, lyrical naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic oversized tree with patterned foliage, speaker’s hand raised in admonition, listener in añjali, bold outlines, natural pigments, symmetrical framing and decorative borders emphasizing moral instruction.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: stylized tree with lotus-vine borders, fruit highlighted in gold, figures rendered as devotional-moral exemplars, peacocks at the base, deep blue-green ground with intricate floral motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["wind in high branches","distant woodpecker","firm footstep on dry leaves","brief conch-like pause","echoing forest silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ca + eva + aham → caivāham; na + adhikaroṣi + iti → nādhikaroṣīti; dīrghataraḥ (gen. sg.) + phalam is an elliptical simile phrase ‘like the fruit of a taller tree’.
FAQs
It advises against speaking “mogha” (in vain). If neither party is capable of meaningful instruction, speaking becomes improper; restraint in speech is presented as an ethical discipline.
“Adhikāra” here implies fitness or qualification to ask and receive an answer. The verse suggests that inquiry must be grounded in readiness—otherwise the questioner is compared to someone trying to reach fruit on an overly tall tree.
The analogy highlights practical limits: some aims require preparation and the right means. Likewise, spiritual or doctrinal questioning should be pursued with capability, humility, and proper qualification rather than insistence.