Shloka 20
The Account and Merit of Śivadūtī
with the Nāga-tīrtha at Puṣkara
त्राहि नस्तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्राणां भुजगानां महात्मनाम् । दिनेदिने भयं देव पश्यामः कृपणा भृशम्
trāhi nastīkṣṇadaṃṣṭrāṇāṃ bhujagānāṃ mahātmanām | dinedine bhayaṃ deva paśyāmaḥ kṛpaṇā bhṛśam
తీక్ష్ణ దంష్ట్రలుగల ఆ మహాత్మ సర్పముల నుండి మమ్మును రక్షించుము. హే దేవా! దినదినమూ మేము దీనులము ఘోర భయాన్ని చూస్తున్నాము।
Unspecified supplicants (petitioners addressing a deity as 'Deva')
Concept: Śaraṇāgati (seeking refuge): when overwhelmed by fear, beings turn to the Lord for protection.
Application: In recurring anxiety, cultivate a refuge-practice: daily prayer, japa, and ethical living that reduces ‘serpent-like’ harms (toxicity, addiction, violence).
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A frightened community of beings huddles at the edge of a scorched clearing as colossal serpents rise with gleaming fangs, their hoods flared like dark umbrellas. The supplicants, eyes wide and tearful, lift their hands toward an unseen divine presence, begging for rescue as fear repeats ‘day after day’.","primary_figures":["Supplicants (unnamed beings)","Great serpents (mahā-bhujagāḥ)","Implied protecting deity (Deva)"],"setting":"Wild liminal landscape—burnt grass, broken anthills, shadowed burrows and serpent trails","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["inky black","ashen gray","pale silver","blood red","smoky violet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: terrified beings in añjali-mudrā before a protective divine aura; towering nāgas with jeweled hoods and razor fangs; dramatic gold leaf halo around the unseen Deva’s presence, rich maroons and greens, ornate borders emphasizing the contrast of fear and refuge.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: serpents rendered with elegant curves and fine scales; small supplicants clustered with expressive faces; cool nocturnal palette, misty hills in the background, delicate brushwork conveying trembling fear and pleading hands.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized nāgas with bold outlines and patterned hoods; supplicants in rhythmic rows; strong red-yellow-green contrasts, temple-wall symmetry, intense eyes and simplified forms amplifying the bhayanaka mood.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic serpents encircling the border like a threatening garland; central space reserved for a protective divine radiance; floral motifs subdued, deep blues and blacks with gold accents, creating a devotional ‘abhaya’ composition."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["low drum pulse","hissing wind","distant thunder","sudden silence after ‘bhayam’"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नस्तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्राणाम् = नः + तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्राणाम्; दिनेदिने = दिने + दिने (पुनरुक्ति); दंष्ट्रा/दंष्ट्रा-रूपे पाठभेद संभवः (दंष्ट्रा/दंष्ट्रा).
FAQs
The speakers beg the Lord (“Deva”) for protection from powerful serpents described as having sharp fangs, because they experience intense fear day after day.
Not in this line alone. The addressee is simply “Deva” (Lord); identifying the specific deity requires the surrounding verses and narrative context of Adhyaya 31.
It frames fear and vulnerability as reasons to take refuge in the divine, expressing humility (“kṛpaṇāḥ”) and seeking protection rather than retaliation.