Shloka 89
The Account of Women
Householder Ethics, Fault, Merit, and Govinda-Nāma as Purification
रौरवं नरकं प्राप्य चांडालत्वं च गच्छति । अतएव हि शुल्कं च जामातुर्न कदाचन
rauravaṃ narakaṃ prāpya cāṃḍālatvaṃ ca gacchati | ataeva hi śulkaṃ ca jāmāturna kadācana
అతడు రౌరవ నరకాన్ని పొందీ చాండాలత్వానికి చేరుతాడు. అందుచేత అల్లుడి నుండి కన్యాశుల్కాన్ని ఎప్పుడూ స్వీకరించకూడదు.
Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher voice within Adhyaya 52; not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Concept: Taking bride-price (śulka) is a grave adharma leading to Raurava hell and degraded rebirth; marriage must not be commodified.
Application: Avoid transactional marriage negotiations; replace ‘price’ with voluntary, non-coercive gifting and mutual support; cultivate integrity in family decisions.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stark moral diptych: in the foreground, a man accepts a heavy pouch labeled ‘śulka’ from a son-in-law, his face half-lit by a harsh red glow. Behind him opens the भयावह vision of Raurava—iron thorns, smoky winds, and anguished silhouettes—while a distant, faintly luminous wedding fire symbolizes the sanctity he has violated.","primary_figures":["man taking bride-price","son-in-law offering coins","Yama (optional, as judge)","messengers of Yama (yamadūtas, optional)"],"setting":"threshold between a marriage courtyard and a hellish ravine of Raurava","lighting_mood":"ominous ember-lit with harsh shadows","color_palette":["blood red","charcoal black","rust brown","sulfur yellow","cold steel gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central figure clutching a gold coin-pouch with exaggerated greed, framed by ornate pillars; behind, a stylized Raurava scene with gold-leaf accents used ironically on chains and thorn motifs; Yama seated with a stern halo, rich reds/greens, gem-studded ornaments, high-contrast divine-court-meets-hell composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined figures in a courtyard, the coin exchange shown with subtle hand gestures; in the background, a misty, symbolic Raurava landscape with thorny silhouettes and smoky gradients; delicate brushwork, restrained yet chilling palette, lyrical but cautionary tone.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, dramatic red-black background for Raurava, stylized yamadūtas with dynamic poses; foreground marriage setting simplified into iconic forms; strong temple-wall symmetry and narrative clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: moral allegory framed by floral borders; central coin-pouch motif contrasted with auspicious symbols (conch, lotus) fading at the edges; deep indigo field with gold highlights, intricate patterning, peacocks rendered subdued to match the warning tone."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["thunder-like mridang hits","metallic chain rattle (subtle)","conch blast at the end","heavy silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चांडालत्वं = चाण्डालत्वम्; अतएव = अत + एव; जामातुर्न = जामातुः + न
FAQs
It condemns taking a bride-price (śulka) from a prospective son-in-law, presenting it as a serious adharma with severe karmic consequences.
Raurava is named as a hell (naraka) in Purāṇic cosmology, invoked here as a consequence for unethical conduct.
It frames the giving of a daughter as a dharmic act that should not be commercialized; demanding payment from the groom’s side is portrayed as morally corrupting.