Shloka 53
The Episode of Cyavana
Cyavana’s Hermitage and the Power of Tapas
गत्वा तत्र शलाकाभिरतुदद्रुधिरं स्रवत् । दृष्ट्वा राज्ञांगजा खेदं प्राप्तवत्यतिदुःखिता
gatvā tatra śalākābhiratudadrudhiraṃ sravat | dṛṣṭvā rājñāṃgajā khedaṃ prāptavatyatiduḥkhitā
तत्र गत्वा सा शलाकाभिः तं विदारयामास; ततः शोणितं स्रवितुम् आरब्धम्। राजकन्यायाः खेदं दृष्ट्वा सा अतिदुःखिता बभूव।
Narrator (contextual prose/verse narration within the dialogue frame of the Pātāla-khaṇḍa)
Concept: Harming the innocent (especially the vulnerable) immediately births inner sorrow and sets the stage for karmic recoil.
Application: Before acting in anger or jealousy, pause; choose non-harm and truthful repair, because guilt itself becomes a form of suffering that multiplies consequences.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a dim palace chamber, a trembling woman holds slender needles, and a thin stream of blood stains white cloth. Nearby, the king’s daughter recoils in distress, her face wet with tears, while the perpetrator’s expression collapses into immediate remorse.","primary_figures":["king’s daughter (rāja-kanyā)","the woman who pierces (unnamed)"],"setting":"royal inner apartments with carved pillars, low couch, scattered ritual items and cloths","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["deep maroon","ivory white","smoke gray","antique gold","indigo shadow"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a palace interior scene with ornate pillars and archways, the distressed princess seated on a low couch, a remorseful woman holding fine needles, a small streak of blood on ivory cloth; gold leaf embellishment on jewelry, borders, and palace motifs; rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments, traditional South Indian facial iconography, dramatic yet devotional restraint.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate palace chamber with delicate brushwork, the princess in pale garments and tearful eyes, the other woman trembling with needles; cool shadows and lyrical detailing of textiles, patterned carpets, and carved wooden screens; refined facial features, subtle emotion, minimal blood depiction, emphasis on remorse.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and expressive eyes, the two women in stylized posture within a palace alcove; natural pigments with red/yellow/green dominance, restrained blood mark as symbolic; ornamental borders and lotus motifs hinting at moral order disturbed.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative vignette framed by intricate floral borders and lotus motifs; central figures rendered with devotional stylization, deep blues and gold accents; palace setting simplified into patterned textiles, peacocks in border corners as silent witnesses, emphasizing the moral drama rather than realism."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["low temple bells","hushed silence","soft sobbing","distant palace ambience"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शलाकाभिः+अतुदत्→शलाकाभिरतुदत् (विसर्ग/रुत्व); अतुदत्+रुधिरम्→अतुदद्रुधिरम् (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि: त्+र→द्र); राज्ञः+अङ्गजा→राज्ञांगजा (ः+अ→आ); प्राप्तवती+अतिदुःखिता→प्राप्तवत्यतिदुःखिता (ई+अ→य)
FAQs
The verse moves from an act that causes physical harm (piercing, blood flowing) to an immediate moral-emotional response: intense sorrow arising upon witnessing the princess’s distress.
A female figure in the narrative (“she”) becomes extremely sorrowful after seeing the king’s daughter (rājñāṃgajā) in distress.
Even when harsh action occurs, the text foregrounds compassion and remorse triggered by another’s suffering—highlighting sensitivity to the pain (kheda) of others.