Shloka 27
The Greatness of the Gaṇḍakī River and the Śālagrāma Stone
तस्मात्सर्वात्मना त्याज्यं स्त्रिया स्पर्शः शिलोपरि । कुर्वती याति नरकं यावदिंद्राश्चतुर्दश
tasmātsarvātmanā tyājyaṃ striyā sparśaḥ śilopari | kurvatī yāti narakaṃ yāvadiṃdrāścaturdaśa
तस्मात् सर्वात्मना त्याज्यः स्त्रिया स्पर्शः शिलोपरि। कुर्वती याति नरकं यावदिन्द्राश्चतुर्दश।
Unspecified narrator (contextual speaker not provided in the excerpt)
Concept: Transgressing a prescribed taboo in sacred worship is said to yield prolonged naraka suffering, measured by cosmic epochs.
Application: Avoid fear-based religiosity: if your tradition teaches strict rules, follow them carefully; if you err, seek prāyaścitta and return to sincere devotion rather than despair.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stark didactic panel: a sacred black stone altar with the Śālagrāma glowing faintly, while behind it a vast cosmic clock of fourteen Indra-thrones fades into a dark abyss, symbolizing immense duration. The foreground shows a hand recoiling from the stone, and the background hints at Yama’s court in shadow, emphasizing deterrence through cosmic scale.","primary_figures":["Śālagrāma (Viṣṇu-svarūpa)","symbolic Indra-thrones (14)","shadowed Yama (distant)","recoiling hand (symbolic)"],"setting":"mythic composite—altar in front, cosmic time imagery and naraka vista behind","lighting_mood":"dramatic chiaroscuro","color_palette":["obsidian","blood red","ashen white","dull gold","storm blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central Śālagrāma with gold-leaf aura; behind it a stylized arc of fourteen miniature Indra seats rendered with gold highlights fading into darkness; distant Yama-court motifs in deep reds; ornate borders, heavy gold leaf, high-contrast didactic composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined symbolic scene—altar in crisp detail, background dissolving into layered silhouettes of thrones and shadow realms; cool blues and grays with restrained gold; expressive minimalism conveying vast time.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold narrative panel—Śālagrāma and altar frontal, fourteen throne icons in a semicircle, Yama rendered in stylized form; strong red-yellow-green pigments with black outlines, temple-wall didactic clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical shrine framed by lotus borders; fourteen throne motifs arranged like a mandala around the central sacred stone; deep blue ground with gold ornamentation, dramatic contrast between sacred center and dark outer ring."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["thunder roll","conch blast","heavy bell","low chanting drone","abrupt silence at the end"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तस्मात्सर्वात्मना = तस्मात् + सर्वात्मना; यावदिंद्राश्चतुर्दश = यावत् + इन्द्राः + चतुर्दश (त् + इ → दि; ः + च → श्च)।
FAQs
It states that a woman should completely avoid a specified “touch upon a stone surface,” warning of severe karmic consequences if the act is done.
In Purāṇic time-reckoning, multiple Indras rule across cycles (often linked with Manvantaras). The phrase indicates an extremely long duration of suffering, not a short-term penalty.
It emphasizes dharma as strict adherence to prescribed conduct (niyama/pratiṣedha), presenting consequences (naraka) as a deterrent against forbidden actions.