Shloka 15
The Origin of the Lauhitya River
and the King of Tīrthas
कथयित्वा तु तद्वृत्तमभीष्टं देशमागता । एवं कामस्य महिमा दुर्निवारो जनेषु च
kathayitvā tu tadvṛttamabhīṣṭaṃ deśamāgatā | evaṃ kāmasya mahimā durnivāro janeṣu ca
ସେ ସମସ୍ତ ବୃତ୍ତାନ୍ତ କହି ସେ ନିଜ ଇଚ୍ଛିତ ଦେଶକୁ ଫେରିଗଲା। ଏହିପରି କାମର ମହିମା—ଲୋକମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ତାହା ଦମନ କରିବା ଦୁର୍ଲଭ।
Narrator (contextual; specific speaker not identifiable from this single verse alone)
Concept: Kāma is powerful and difficult to restrain; awareness of its force is the first step toward discipline and purification.
Application: Notice desire’s momentum; pause before acting, substitute a sattvic practice (japa, tulasi-sevā, tīrtha-smaraṇa) when the mind runs outward.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A woman, having finished recounting a fateful episode, turns back toward the place her heart longs for; behind her, the air seems to ripple with the invisible pull of desire. In the foreground, a sage-like narrator gestures as if warning that Kāma’s current is hard to dam in ordinary lives.","primary_figures":["a noble lady returning (anonymous)","a narrator-sage figure symbolizing dharma","personified Kāma as a subtle presence (optional)"],"setting":"Forest path leading toward a distant hermitage or city gate; symbolic lotus petals scattered on the ground to hint at Padma Purāṇa’s cosmology.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","leaf green","dusky rose","smoke gray","antique gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a central returning lady in silk with stylized jewelry, a seated sage at one side raising a teaching hand-mudrā, faint ethereal Kāma with sugarcane bow in the background; gold leaf halos, rich maroon and emerald borders, temple-arch framing, gem-studded ornaments, traditional South Indian iconography.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: slender figures on a winding forest path, delicate brushwork and lyrical trees, soft pink sky, distant pavilion indicating the desired place; refined faces, cool greens and muted reds, gentle moralizing gesture by a sage narrator.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, the lady in warm red-yellow garments, sage in ochre, stylized foliage, large expressive eyes; temple-wall aesthetic with flat yet vibrant color fields and a subtle symbolic Kāma motif behind.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional border of lotus and creepers; central vignette of the returning lady and a sage, with peacocks and floral motifs; deep indigo background with gold detailing, ornate textile-like patterning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","evening wind through leaves","distant conch shell","brief silence between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तद्वृत्तम् = तत् + वृत्तम्; वृत्तमभीष्टम् = वृत्तम् + अभीष्टम्; देशमागता = देशम् + आगताः.
FAQs
It presents desire as a powerful, often irresistible force in human life—difficult to restrain once it takes hold.
No. It only says she returned to her “desired place” (abhīṣṭa-deśa) without naming a location.
The verse implies the need for vigilance and discipline, since desire can override restraint and strongly shape actions and choices.