Shloka 19
Instruction on All Dharma
in the context of Rāma’s Aśvamedha
ददर्श तत्र शतशो बद्धांस्तादृशवर्णकान् । दृष्ट्वा विस्मयमापेदे स मुनिर्हर्षितांगकः
dadarśa tatra śataśo baddhāṃstādṛśavarṇakān | dṛṣṭvā vismayamāpede sa munirharṣitāṃgakaḥ
అక్కడ ఆయన శతశః అలాగే వర్ణరూపముల గల బద్ధులైన వారిని చూచెను; చూచి ముని విస్మయమునకు లోనై, ఆనందముతో సర్వాంగము పులకించెను।
Narrator (contextual prose voice; specific dialogue-speaker not explicit in this verse alone)
Concept: Wonder (vismaya) can open the heart, but the binding hints that power and beauty require restraint and right governance under dharma.
Application: When encountering abundance, cultivate gratitude and self-restraint; let joy refine into reverence.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Type: netherworld
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Behind heavy gates, hundreds of splendid horses stand tethered in orderly ranks, their coats repeating the rare colors seen before like a living tapestry. The sage gazes upon them, eyes widened; a visible thrill runs through his body as if the air itself vibrates with auspicious power.","primary_figures":["muni (sage)","hundreds of bound horses","gatekeepers/guards"],"setting":"massive gated enclosure within Pātāla, iron-and-gold bars, gem lamps, incense-laden air","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["burnished gold","midnight blue","pearl white","vermillion","emerald"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: grand enclosure packed with ornamented horses in repeating color patterns; gold leaf on gates, lamps, and harness ornaments; the sage in front with a subtle halo, rich crimson backdrop, intricate border work and gem-like highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: dense yet delicate crowding of horses behind a lattice gate; the sage’s expression rendered with fine nuance; cool shadows, soft gradients, patterned textiles, and a sense of contained energy.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: rhythmic rows of tethered horses with stylized harnesses; bold outlines, warm lamp yellows against deep greens; the sage shown in three-quarter profile with heightened eyes, narrative frieze composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical enclosure filled with repeating horse motifs like a textile pattern; ornate floral borders, lotus medallions, deep blue ground with gold detailing, peacocks perched on the gate arch."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["sudden hush","metal chain clinks","collective horse snorts","temple bell swell","resonant echo"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: बद्धांस्तादृशवर्णकान् = बद्धान् + तादृशवर्णकान्; विस्मयमापेदे = विस्मयम् + आपेदे; मुनिर्हर्षितांगकः = मुनिः + हर्षिताङ्गकः (अङ्गकः इति)
FAQs
A sage witnesses many beings ‘bound’ (baddhān) and responds with astonishment (vismaya) and bodily joy (harṣitāṅgaka).
The verse presents a devotional-epic reaction where a startling vision provokes vismaya (marvel) and harṣa (uplift/joy), suggesting the sight has spiritual or revelatory significance within the episode.
Not by name in this line; it only states they were ‘bound’ and ‘of such an appearance’ (tādṛśa-varṇakān). Identification depends on the surrounding verses of Adhyaya 9.