Shloka 20
The Sin of Breaking Households: Citrā’s Past Karma and the Remedy of Hari’s Name and Meditation
यथा गृहशतं भग्नं तथा वरशतं मृतम् । स्वयंवरे तदा वत्स विवाहे चैकविंशतिः
yathā gṛhaśataṃ bhagnaṃ tathā varaśataṃ mṛtam | svayaṃvare tadā vatsa vivāhe caikaviṃśatiḥ
ଯେପରି ଶତ ଗୃହ ଭଙ୍ଗ ହେଲା, ସେପରି ଶତ ବର ମୃତ ହେଲେ। ସେତେବେଳେ ସ୍ୱୟଂବରରେ, ହେ ବତ୍ସ, ଏବଂ ବିବାହରେ ମଧ୍ୟ—ଏକୋଇଶି (ମୃତ୍ୟୁ) ଘଟିଲା।
Unspecified (narratorial voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa dialogue context; commonly framed as Pulastya speaking to Bhīṣma in this khanda)
Concept: Karma mirrors the scale of harm: as many homes were ruined, so many lives (suitors) are lost; specific numbers dramatize proportional retribution.
Application: Do not rationalize ‘small’ wrongdoing when it affects many; cultivate restitution and community-protecting dharma; adopt regular purificatory practices (japa, dāna, Ekādaśī) to reverse harmful tendencies.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A grand svayaṃvara hall crowded with garlanded princes suddenly turns into a scene of catastrophe: fallen suitors lie amid scattered flowers, while the bride’s platform stands like a silent witness. Above, an invisible karmic thread connects the earlier image of ‘hundred broken houses’ to ‘hundred dead suitors,’ making the tragedy feel like a grim reflection.","primary_figures":["Citrā (as central karmic agent)","suitors/princes","royal attendants","priests","symbolic karmic thread or scale"],"setting":"Royal assembly hall with pillars, banners, flower heaps, and a raised dais for the svayaṃvara; later, a wedding mandapa vignette indicating ‘twenty-one’ deaths at the wedding.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance turned ominous","color_palette":["royal purple","lotus pink","antique gold","blood crimson","smoke black"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: opulent svayaṃvara sabhā with gold leaf pillars and jeweled crowns; a dramatic contrast between festive garlands and the stillness of fallen suitors; Citrā on the dais with a complex expression; gold leaf used to heighten both splendor and the cruel irony of karmic reversal.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: multi-scene narrative—left panel shows intact festive hall, right panel shows aftermath with delicate yet poignant faces; cool architectural perspective, refined costumes, and subtle blood-red accents; a thin painted line (karmic thread) links the two panels.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: symmetrical sabhā composition with bold outlines, repeated prince figures, stylized fall poses; Citrā centered, large-eyed; strong reds/yellows/greens with black-blue shading to signal calamity; a circular karmic emblem above the dais.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ceremonial hall rendered as a patterned tapestry; princes arranged like motifs, many inverted to signify death; ornate border of garlands turning into thorn-vines; deep blue ground with gold and pink highlights, narrative medallion noting ‘21’ at the wedding."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["crowd murmur cut to silence","metallic clang","distant conch","falling flower rustle","low drum"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चैकविंशतिः = च एकविंशतिः.
FAQs
It uses a stark comparison to emphasize the scale of destruction—linking the ruin of many homes with the death of many suitors—and notes a specific count of twenty-one deaths associated with the svayaṃvara and the wedding.
It denotes a specific number connected with the events described—twenty-one (deaths) occurring in relation to the svayaṃvara and the marriage ceremony.
It is primarily narrative, reporting consequences and quantities in a story context, while implicitly underscoring themes of conflict and the heavy fallout of worldly events.