Shloka 108
Narmadā
Revā) Tīrtha Greatness: The Gandharva Maidens’ Curse Narrative (Acchodā Episode Begins
अतऊर्ध्वं पिशाचास्ते आहारार्थं सुदुःखिताः । इतस्ततश्च धावंतो वसंति सरसस्तटे
ataūrdhvaṃ piśācāste āhārārthaṃ suduḥkhitāḥ | itastataśca dhāvaṃto vasaṃti sarasastaṭe
अत ऊर्ध्वं ते पिशाचाः क्षुधार्ताः सुदुःखिताः, आहारार्थमितस्ततश्च धावन्तः सरसस्तटे वसन्ति।
Unspecified narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; exact dialogue pair not provided in the input).
Concept: Unwholesome karma can lead to restless, hungry states of existence; suffering expresses itself as perpetual seeking without satisfaction.
Application: Notice compulsive ‘running here and there’ in one’s own mind; cultivate regulated living, charity, and devotional practices that transform craving into purposeful desire for the good.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Gaunt piśācas sprint along a dark lake’s edge, their limbs elongated, eyes fixed on imagined food that vanishes like mirage. Reeds shiver as they pass; the water reflects them distorted, suggesting their fractured identity and the instability of their state.","primary_figures":["Piśācas"],"setting":"Lakebank with dense reeds, muddy shore, scattered remnants of offerings, distant cremation smoke on the horizon.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["midnight blue","mud brown","phosphor green","silver gray","dull crimson"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dynamic procession of piśācas running along a stylized lakebank, embossed gold-leaf ripples on dark water, heavy ornamental borders, dramatic diagonals, jewel-like highlights used to depict eerie reflections and karmic agitation.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a nocturnal lakeside with delicate reeds and subtle gradients; thin spectral figures in motion, mirrored distortions in water, cool palette with restrained crimson accents, refined storytelling through landscape rhythm.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and rhythmic repetition of running figures; flat midnight-blue lake with silver-white highlights, green reeds, red-ochre ground, strong narrative clarity like a temple panel warning against adharma.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: circular border of reeds and dark lotuses framing a restless chase along the shore; deep indigo cloth, intricate gold patterning on water, stylized birds as omens, devotional textile complexity turned into a moral allegory."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["rushing footsteps","rustling reeds","low water lapping","distant owl call"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अतऊर्ध्वम् = अतः + ऊर्ध्वम्; पिशाचास्ते = पिशाचाः + ते; इतस्ततश्च = इतः + ततः + च; धावंतो = धावन्तः; सरसस्तटे = सरसः + तटे
FAQs
Piśācas are portrayed in Purāṇic literature as troubled, restless beings associated with impurity and suffering; here they are shown as afflicted by hunger and compelled to wander for sustenance.
It depicts miserable beings running in different directions seeking food, ultimately dwelling on the shore of a lake—an image emphasizing restless deprivation.
The verse underscores the theme of suffering born of want and restlessness, implying that harmful or unwholesome modes of life culminate in distress rather than peace.