Shloka 68
Episode of Vena: The Power of Association and Revā (Narmadā) Tīrtha
सुशंखस्ताडितो विप्रा मृत्योश्चैव हि कन्यया । ततः क्रुद्धो महातेजाः शशाप तनुमध्यमाम्
suśaṃkhastāḍito viprā mṛtyoścaiva hi kanyayā | tataḥ kruddho mahātejāḥ śaśāpa tanumadhyamām
ஓ பிராமணர்களே, மரணரூபமான கன்னி சுசங்கனைத் தாக்கினாள். அப்போது மகாதேஜஸ்வி அவர் கோபித்து அந்த மெலிந்த இடையுடைய கன்னியைச் சபித்தார்.
Unknown (context needed; likely a narrator addressing brāhmaṇas)
Concept: Tapas generates tejas; when dharma is violated, that tejas can manifest as śāpa (curse) to restore moral balance.
Application: Recognize that actions against the innocent rebound; cultivate humility in sacred spaces and toward holy persons; seek atonement quickly after wrongdoing.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Suśaṅkha, bruised yet blazing with ascetic radiance, rises in a surge of righteous anger. Before him stands the slender-waisted maiden—revealed as Mṛtyu—caught between human form and an uncanny shadow of inevitability, as the curse is about to be spoken like a thunderbolt of dharma.","primary_figures":["Suśaṅkha (mahātejas tapasvin)","the maiden (kanyā) identified with Mṛtyu","brāhmaṇa onlookers (optional, as addressed)"],"setting":"forest clearing with sacred fire pit, tall sal trees, scattered ascetic implements; air charged with spiritual electricity","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["fiery gold","charcoal black","crimson","emerald green","ivory"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Suśaṅkha with a brilliant gold-leaf aura, right hand raised in pronouncement of śāpa; the maiden rendered with contrasting dark tones and delicate ornaments, rich reds and greens, dramatic symmetry, ornate lotus border, gold highlights on flames and sacred implements.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intense yet refined scene; the ascetic’s luminous face and controlled fury, the maiden’s slender silhouette with a hint of otherworldly shadow; cool forest greens with sharp gold accents, delicate foliage and a charged stillness before the curse lands.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, expressive eyes; Suśaṅkha’s tejas shown as a bright halo, the maiden with darker shading; stylized trees and fire altar, strong red-yellow-green palette with black to heighten raudra rasa.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central dramatic panel framed by intricate floral borders; Suśaṅkha’s curse gesture emphasized, the maiden poised in tension; deep blue-green background with gold detailing, lotus motifs and subtle shankha-chakra patterns to suggest dharmic authority, peacocks frozen mid-step."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell (single blow)","drum roll","crackling fire","wind gust","sudden hush"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सुशंखस्ताडितो = सुशंखः + ताडितः; मृत्योश्चैव = मृत्योः + च + एव; तनुमध्यमाम् समासः (तनु + मध्यम) ।
FAQs
The verse describes Death (Mṛtyu) as personified in the form of a maiden (kanyā), a common Purāṇic narrative device to make abstract forces into characters.
Suśaṅkha is struck by the maiden identified with Death, and then a powerful figure (mahātejāḥ), angered, pronounces a curse upon the slender-waisted maiden.
It highlights the Purāṇic theme that anger (krodha) can lead to punitive speech (śāpa), which often drives karmic consequences and plot developments in dharma narratives.