Shloka 18
Sukalā’s Account: Ikṣvāku and Sudevā; the Boar’s Resolve and the Dharma of Battle
शूकर्युवाच । यदायदा पश्यसि लुब्धकान्बहून्महावने कांत समायुधान्बहून् । एतैस्तु पुत्रैर्ममपौत्रकैः समं दूरं नु भो यासि पलायमानः
śūkaryuvāca | yadāyadā paśyasi lubdhakānbahūnmahāvane kāṃta samāyudhānbahūn | etaistu putrairmamapautrakaiḥ samaṃ dūraṃ nu bho yāsi palāyamānaḥ
แม่หมูป่ากล่าวว่า: “โอ้ที่รัก เมื่อใดก็ตามที่เจ้ามองเห็นนายพรานมากมายในมหาพน—หลายคนถืออาวุธ—เหตุใดเจ้าจึงหนีไกลไปพร้อมกับบุตรของเราและหลานของเรานี้?”
Śūkarī (the sow)
Concept: Courage and discernment are required in danger; panic-driven flight without understanding the cause can endanger dependents.
Application: When responsible for others, ask ‘what exactly is the threat?’ and act from clarity rather than reflex; communicate reasons to loved ones.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Śūkarī stands firm amid tall sal trees, her gaze steady and questioning as she addresses Kola who is retreating with a cluster of piglets and larger young boars. In the distance, a line of armed hunters glints through the trees, their weapons catching stray light, while the family’s footprints mark a frantic path through leaf-litter.","primary_figures":["Śūkarī (sow)","Kola (boar-king)","sons and grandsons (young boars)","hunters"],"setting":"great forest with towering trees, thick shrubs, scattered rocks, and a narrow animal trail","lighting_mood":"late afternoon tension with slanting beams","color_palette":["olive green","burnt sienna","bronze","shadow violet","pale sun-gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: foreground Śūkarī in commanding pose, ornamented stylization on tusks/eyes; young boars clustered; hunters in a secondary panel; gold leaf highlights on weapon tips and sunbeams; ornate floral border, saturated reds/greens, devotional narrative composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate family grouping with delicate fur texture; forest rendered with layered greens and fine tree trunks; hunters small but clear, with subtle metallic accents; expressive faces and gentle curvature of forms, lyrical tension.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: strong outlines, rhythmic forest bands; Śūkarī’s questioning gesture emphasized; hunters simplified into iconic silhouettes with spears; warm red/yellow/green pigments, temple-wall symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative registers—top band shows hunters, central medallion shows Śūkarī speaking, lower band shows the fleeing family; intricate floral borders with lotus and creepers; deep blue ground with gold detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["forest birds abruptly quieting","distant footfalls","soft jingle of weapons","wind through leaves"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शूकर्युवाच = शूकर्युः + उवाच; लुब्धकान्बहून् = लुब्धकान् + बहून्; बहून्महावने = बहून् + महावने; समायुधान्बहून् = समायुधान् + बहून्; पुत्रैर्ममपौत्रकैः = पुत्रैः + मम + पौत्रकैः
FAQs
The speaker is Śūkarī (a sow). She addresses someone she calls “kānta” (“beloved”), questioning his habit of fleeing when hunters appear.
It highlights a repeated reaction of fear: whenever armed hunters are seen in the forest, the addressed person runs away, taking along Śūkarī’s sons and grandsons.
The verse can be read as probing the causes and consequences of fear-driven behavior—especially how one person’s panic can influence and endanger an entire family group.