Shloka 18
The Account of Women
Householder Ethics, Fault, Merit, and Govinda-Nāma as Purification
देव्युवाच । युवतीनां सदा चित्तं पुंसु तिष्ठत्यसंशयम् । अस्मिन्योनौ सुसंयोग्ये संगते वाप्यसंगते
devyuvāca | yuvatīnāṃ sadā cittaṃ puṃsu tiṣṭhatyasaṃśayam | asminyonau susaṃyogye saṃgate vāpyasaṃgate
देव्युवाच—युवतीनां सदा चित्तं पुंसु तिष्ठत्यसंशयम्; अस्मिन्योनौ सुसंयोग्ये संगते वा अप्यसंगते।
Devī (the Goddess)
Concept: Desire and attention in youth are powerful and can fixate; dharma requires understanding the mind’s tendencies to guide conduct wisely.
Application: Treat attraction and fixation as natural forces needing ethical boundaries; cultivate self-awareness, accountability, and constructive channels (seva, japa, disciplined routines).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: mountain
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Pārvatī speaks with composed clarity, her hand raised in a gentle teaching gesture, while the sage listens intently. The scene balances compassion with realism: a divine mother explaining the mind’s currents against the stillness of snow peaks and incense haze.","primary_figures":["Pārvatī","Nārada (listener)"],"setting":"Teaching seat near a Himalayan shrine; subtle presence of sacred fire or incense, stone platform, distant peaks.","lighting_mood":"serene twilight","color_palette":["dusky violet","snow white","soft gold","rose madder","charcoal grey"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Pārvatī with gold leaf halo, abhaya/teaching mudrā, richly ornamented; Nārada seated below with attentive gaze; embossed gold patterns on garments and arch, deep reds and greens framing a calm didactic moment.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: twilight discourse with cool purples and blues; Devī’s face rendered with delicate serenity, sage listening; thin incense trails, distant peaks softened by mist, intimate psychological tone.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Devī in saturated pigments with bold outlines, expressive eyes conveying measured instruction; sage in profile; stylized mountain and shrine motifs, rhythmic decorative borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional panel with ornate floral borders; central Devī teaching, sage listening; deep indigo-violet ground with gold filigree, lotus motifs suggesting purity amid discussion of desire."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low tanpura","single bell strokes","hushed assembly ambience","wind outside shrine","brief silences for emphasis"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: देव्युवाच = देवी + उवाच; तिष्ठत्यसंशयम् = तिष्ठति + असंशयम्; अस्मिन्योनौ = अस्मिन् + योनौ; वाप्यसंगते = वा + अपि + असंगते.
FAQs
The speaker is Devī (“devyuvāca”), indicating a didactic dialogue passage where the Goddess states an observation about human (especially youthful) psychology and desire.
It asserts that a young woman’s attention tends to dwell on men, framing it as a near-constant pull of the mind, irrespective of whether union occurs or does not occur.
The verse can be read as a caution about the mind’s tendency to fixate on sense-objects; it implicitly supports vigilance, self-restraint, and mindful discipline for those pursuing dharma and spiritual steadiness.