Shloka 44
The Tale of Sukalā: Testing Pativratā Fidelity and the Body-as-House Teaching
वार्द्धके दुःखसंप्राप्तिर्जरा कायं प्रहिंसयेत् । तारुण्ये भुज्यते भोगः सुखात्सर्वो वरानने
vārddhake duḥkhasaṃprāptirjarā kāyaṃ prahiṃsayet | tāruṇye bhujyate bhogaḥ sukhātsarvo varānane
ในวัยชรา ย่อมประสบทุกข์; ความแก่ชราทำร้ายกายให้ทรุดโทรม ในวัยหนุ่มสาว ย่อมเสวยสุขแห่งกามคุณ ดังนั้น โอ้หญิงผู้มีพักตร์งาม ทุกคนจึงแสวงหาความสุข
Unspecified (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa 53)
Concept: Pleasure is sought in youth, but old age brings suffering; therefore, do not anchor life’s meaning in transient bodily enjoyment.
Application: Enjoy responsibly but invest in lasting goods—character, service, devotion; begin spiritual practice early rather than postponing to old age.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A triptych-like composition shows three ages: a child playing, a radiant youth adorned and enjoying comforts, and an elderly figure leaning on a staff with a pained expression. An unseen narrator’s wisdom binds the panels, emphasizing how senility harms the body and how youth chases pleasure.","primary_figures":["child","youthful man and woman (symbolic)","elderly figure","narrator/counselor (optional)"],"setting":"symbolic life-stage panorama—courtyard for childhood, palace-garden for youth, quiet hut/veranda for old age","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["lotus pink","sapphire blue","antique gold","stone gray","forest green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: three-panel life-stage narrative with gold leaf halos and ornate arches; youth scene lavish with gold ornaments and rich textiles; old-age scene subdued with gray-green tones; intricate borders and traditional iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: elegant sequential vignettes across a single page; soft gradients, refined faces; youth in a garden with fountains, old age on a veranda with wintery trees; subtle moral tone through composition and color cooling.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined figures in three registers; youth in bright reds/yellows, old age in muted ochres; decorative foliage and patterned backgrounds; temple-wall storytelling aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: circular mandala of the three life stages around a central lotus; ornate floral borders, peacocks; deep blue and gold with narrative medallions, devotional undertone suggesting turning from bhoga to bhakti."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft conch in distance","evening birds","measured pauses"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दुःखसंप्राप्तिः = दुःख-सम्प्राप्तिः (समास); दुःखसंप्राप्तिर्जरा = दुःखसंप्राप्तिः + जरा (विसर्ग-सन्धि); सुखात्सर्वः = सुखात् + सर्वः (त् + स → त्स)
FAQs
It contrasts the bodily decline and suffering of old age with the enjoyment of pleasures in youth, highlighting the universal human pursuit of happiness.
Jarā represents aging that harms the body, while bhoga represents pleasures typically enjoyed in youth—together framing a life-cycle reflection on desire and suffering.
Since youth is transient and old age brings vulnerability, the verse can be read as encouraging timely discernment and a shift from bodily pleasures toward more lasting aims (dharma, self-control, and spiritual practice).