Shloka 18
The Liberation of the Lizard
Godhā-vimukti
प्रव्रज्याभेषजैर्वश्या जाता हि पतयस्तु नः । त्वं पृच्छ तां वरारोहे दास्यते भेषजं शुभम् ॥ १८ ॥
pravrajyābheṣajairvaśyā jātā hi patayastu naḥ | tvaṃ pṛccha tāṃ varārohe dāsyate bheṣajaṃ śubham || 18 ||
प्रव्रज्याभेषजैर्नः पतयः वश्याः न जाता हि; त्वं पृच्छ तां वरारोहे, दास्यते भेषजं शुभम्॥
Unspecified women (narrative speakers within Book 2’s tirtha/mahatmya storyline)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It highlights the transformative power of pravrajyā (renunciation): when a person becomes oriented to higher dharma and detachment, ordinary worldly “control” and attraction lose their hold, and the narrative frames this as a profound shift requiring a different kind of remedy—an auspicious, dharmic upāya.
Indirectly, it reflects a common Purāṇic theme: as devotion and renunciation deepen, the mind turns away from sense-based dependence. The verse contrasts worldly influence with a higher, auspicious means—consistent with Bhakti texts that prioritize inner transformation over external manipulation.
The verse uses the technical idiom of upāya as “bheṣaja” (remedy), echoing a dharma-text style of prescribing practical measures; it is not a direct Vedāṅga teaching (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa), but a narrative example of applied dharmic counsel.