Shloka 157
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
वातातपेन वृष्ट्या च कालेप्येवं कुतः सुखम् । विवाहविस्तरे दुःखं तद्गर्भोद्वहने पुनः
vātātapena vṛṣṭyā ca kālepyevaṃ kutaḥ sukham | vivāhavistare duḥkhaṃ tadgarbhodvahane punaḥ
वातातपवृष्टिभिः कालेऽप्येवं कुतः सुखम्? विवाहविस्तरे दुःखं, तद्गर्भोद्वहने पुनः॥
Unspecified (context-dependent within Padma Purāṇa, Bhūmi-khaṇḍa 66)
Concept: Worldly life—especially marriage and progeny—inevitably carries duḥkha; lasting sukha is not secured by social rites alone.
Application: Treat life-stages (marriage, parenthood) as duties without imagining them as the final source of happiness; cultivate daily japa, sāttvika conduct, and periodic vratas to steady the mind.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A weary householder couple stands at the edge of a village courtyard as harsh wind bends trees, the sun glares through broken clouds, and sudden rain sheets down. In the background, wedding paraphernalia—garlands, pots, cloth—lies half-soaked, while the woman holds her belly, hinting at pregnancy’s weight; the mood is sober, urging a turn inward toward divine refuge.","primary_figures":["gṛhastha couple (husband and pregnant wife)","village elders (faint silhouettes)"],"setting":"rural Indian village courtyard with a small shrine niche in the wall, wedding items scattered, monsoon clouds rolling in","lighting_mood":"storm-dim with intermittent sun-glare","color_palette":["slate gray","dusty ochre","indigo cloud-blue","muted vermilion","lamp-gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a village courtyard scene with a gṛhastha couple under wind and rain, wedding vessels and garlands nearby; include a small Viṣṇu shrine niche glowing with gold leaf, rich reds and greens on textiles, gem-studded ornaments on the shrine icon, ornate borders, dramatic contrast between storm clouds and divine lamp-lit radiance.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical rural courtyard under shifting weather—wind-bent trees, rain streaks, pale sun; delicate brushwork on soaked garlands and cloth, refined faces showing quiet sorrow, cool mountain-like palette with soft indigo and gray, a tiny Viṣṇu shrine in the corner as a calm focal point.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments depicting the couple and wedding items under rain; stylized clouds and wind motifs, temple-wall aesthetic; a small Viṣṇu icon in a niche with characteristic large eyes, red/yellow/green palette, emphasizing dharma and endurance.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic composition—lotus motifs and a central small Viṣṇu shrine as refuge, while the lower register shows the household scene with rain and scattered wedding items; intricate floral borders, deep blues and gold, peacocks sheltering near the shrine to suggest protection amid hardship."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["distant rain","soft wind","low temple bell","brief silence between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कालेप्येवं = काले + अपि + एवम्; तद्गर्भोद्वहने = तद् + गर्भ + उद्वहने
FAQs
It underscores the inevitability of physical and worldly hardship—climate, social obligations, and family burdens—prompting reflection on the limits of worldly “sukha” and encouraging detachment or sober discernment.
Not necessarily; it highlights the difficulties that accompany household life. In Purāṇic literature, this often functions as a contrast to spiritual aims—warning against idealizing worldly comfort rather than issuing a blanket rejection of gṛhastha-dharma.
It refers to the hardship involved in carrying a pregnancy (garbha) afterward—i.e., following marriage, additional burdens arise in the form of conception and gestation.