Shloka 15
The Lakṣmī–Nārāyaṇa Vow Narrative
Puṣya Thursday Observance and the Ethics of Fortune
द्वारनियुक्तोवाच । किं नाम वहसे वृद्धे कः पतिस्तावकः पुनः । आगतासि कथं किं ते कार्य्यं राज्ञ्याश्च दर्शने । कस्मात्किं ब्रूहि विप्रे त्वं श्रोतुं कौतुहलं हि मे
dvāraniyuktovāca | kiṃ nāma vahase vṛddhe kaḥ patistāvakaḥ punaḥ | āgatāsi kathaṃ kiṃ te kāryyaṃ rājñyāśca darśane | kasmātkiṃ brūhi vipre tvaṃ śrotuṃ kautuhalaṃ hi me
ద్వారపాలుడు అన్నాడు— “వృద్ధమాతా, నీవు ఏమి మోస్తున్నావు? నీ భర్త ఎవరు? నీవు ఇక్కడికి ఎలా వచ్చావు, రాణి దర్శనంలో నీ పని ఏమిటి? ఎందుకు, ఏ కారణంతో వచ్చావో చెప్పు. ఓ బ్రాహ్మణా, మాట్లాడు; వినాలని నాకు కుతూహలం ఉంది।”
Dvāraniyukta (gate-attendant/door-keeper)
Concept: Discernment before granting access: ask about identity, purpose, and conduct; curiosity (kautūhala) is legitimate when guided by duty.
Application: Before trusting or granting entry (to home, mind, or community), ask clear questions: who, why, what is carried, what is sought—without malice.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At the palace threshold, a vigilant gate-attendant leans forward, questioning an elderly visitor with a mix of duty and genuine curiosity. The scene is tense yet orderly: keys, staff, and the guarded doorway symbolize the boundary between private power and public petition.","primary_figures":["Dvāraniyuktā (gate-attendant)","aged woman visitor","guards/courtiers (background)"],"setting":"gatehouse with wooden doors, iron fittings, guard niche, hanging garlands, ledger/scroll for entries","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["bronze","maroon","smoky gray","mustard yellow","deep green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: gate-attendant in authoritative pose, ornate jewelry and patterned sari, holding staff/keys, questioning the aged visitor carrying a bundle, gold leaf on door fittings and palace motifs, rich reds and greens, detailed facial expressions and decorative borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: close conversational scene at a carved doorway, delicate expressions showing curiosity and caution, muted earth tones with refined highlights, subtle architectural detailing, narrative intimacy and clarity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, strong reds/yellows/greens, gate-attendant’s large expressive eyes and hand gestures of questioning, stylized doorway with rhythmic ornament, mural-like flat perspective and patterned fills.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical doorway framed by floral borders, deep blue ground with gold accents, figures stylized with decorative textiles, keys and staff rendered as emblematic motifs, intricate patterning on garments and door panels."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["staff tapping stone","low murmur of guards","door creak (held shut)","wind through banners"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dvāraniyuktovāca → dvāra-niyuktaḥ + uvāca (visarga lost before vowel). patistāvakaḥ → patiḥ + tāvakaḥ. āgatāsi → āgatā + asi. rājñyāśca → rājñyāḥ + ca. kasmātkiṃ → kasmāt + kim.
FAQs
The speaker is the dvāraniyukta, a gate-attendant. The setting is the entrance to a royal residence where access to the queen is being regulated.
It depicts formal questioning at the palace gate: identity, purpose, and reason for seeking an audience with the queen, reflecting protocols of royal access and social inquiry.
The verse highlights responsible gatekeeping and the importance of clarity of intent when approaching authority—questions of purpose, identity, and legitimacy before entry.