Shloka 21
Description of Cyavana’s Austerity and Enjoyment
तुष्टोऽहमद्य तव भामिनि मानदायाः । शुश्रूषया परमया हृदि चैकभक्त्या । यो देहिनामयमतीव सुहृत्स्वदेहो । नावेक्षितः समुचितः क्षपितुं मदर्थे
tuṣṭo'hamadya tava bhāmini mānadāyāḥ | śuśrūṣayā paramayā hṛdi caikabhaktyā | yo dehināmayamatīva suhṛtsvadeho | nāvekṣitaḥ samucitaḥ kṣapituṃ madarthe
హే భామిని, హే మానదాయిని! నీ పరమ సేవచేతనూ, హృదయంలోని ఏకభక్తిచేతనూ నేడు నేను సంతోషించాను. దేహధారులకు అత్యంత ప్రియమై హితకరమైన నీ ఈ దేహాన్ని నిర్లక్ష్యం చేయకుము; నా خاطر దానిని క్షీణింపజేయడం సముచితం కాదు.
Unspecified (a male figure addressing a devoted woman; context needed for precise identification)
Concept: Ekabhakti and śuśrūṣā please the beloved/divine, but devotion must protect the body as a means of service; self-neglect is not dharma.
Application: Serve with love, but keep health as part of dharma; set sustainable spiritual routines (fasting, japa, charity) that strengthen rather than deplete.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A compassionate figure addresses a devoted woman with a calm, luminous face—his hand raised in gentle reassurance rather than command. The woman, thin from vows yet radiant in inner resolve, listens as he praises her service and single-pointed devotion, while indicating that her body must be cared for as a sacred instrument of dharma.","primary_figures":["the male speaker (husband/divine benefactor)","the devoted woman (mānadā/bhāminī)"],"setting":"Quiet hermitage courtyard: a small tulsi-less but sacred domestic altar space with lamp, water pot, and folded cloth; the atmosphere is intimate, ethical, and devotional rather than grand.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["soft gold","cream white","rose madder","olive green","charcoal gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: the speaker with a serene gold-leaf halo, right hand in abhaya/assurance, left hand gesturing toward the woman’s heart (ekabhakti); the woman seated with folded hands, slender form, simple ornaments; rich red-green textiles, embossed gold borders, gem-like highlights on jewelry, lamp and altar details rendered with ornate South Indian aesthetics.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined, tender dialogue scene—two figures under a flowering tree, the speaker’s expression soft and instructive; the woman’s face shows relief and devotion; pale dawn sky, delicate foliage, minimal props (kamandalu, lamp), cool greens with warm gold accents, lyrical intimacy.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, warm yellow-red palette; the speaker’s calm eyes and gentle hand gesture; the woman’s attentive posture; stylized hermitage elements and patterned ground, temple-wall narrative composition emphasizing dharma and compassion.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central medallion of the compassionate instruction, surrounded by lotus and floral borders; deep blue field with gold and pink lotuses; the woman in prayerful listening posture; decorative lamp motifs and vine patterns suggesting regulated devotion and auspiciousness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","gentle silence","morning birds","single conch note fading"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तुष्टोऽहमद्य = तुष्टः + अहम् + अद्य (अः + अ → ओऽ); चैकभक्त्या = च + एकभक्त्या (अ + ए → ऐ); नावेक्षितः = न + अवेक्षितः (अ + अ → आ).
FAQs
It praises “eka-bhakti” (single-pointed devotion) joined with “śuśrūṣā” (devoted service), presenting inner devotion and practical service as complementary marks of mature bhakti.
It teaches that intense devotion should not become self-harm: the body is called a “suhṛt” (benefactor) for living beings and should be maintained as a fit instrument for dharma and service.
The speaker is pleased with the woman’s devotion and service, but advises her not to neglect or exhaust her body for his sake, because caring for it is also proper and righteous.