Shloka 15
Means to Attain Vaikuṇṭha: The Glory of House-Donation and the Viṣṇudūtas–Yamadūtas Episode
संकेतं नागतो वैश्यो व्यशंकिष्टविलोकिता । कथं कांतो नागतो मे सर्पव्याघ्रैश्च भक्षितः
saṃketaṃ nāgato vaiśyo vyaśaṃkiṣṭavilokitā | kathaṃ kāṃto nāgato me sarpavyāghraiśca bhakṣitaḥ
พ่อค้าไวศยะมิได้มาถึงสถานที่นัดหมาย นางเหลียวมองรอบด้านด้วยความกระวนกระวาย “ไฉนคนรักของเราจึงไม่มา หรือว่าเขาถูกงูและเสือกัดกินเสียแล้ว?”
Unspecified woman (lamenting/concerned for her beloved Vaiśya)
Concept: Attachment (kānta-bhāva) mixed with adharma yields suffering and fear; the mind projects worst outcomes when it abandons dharmic clarity.
Application: When anxiety spirals, return to sattva: breathe, seek truthful information, and anchor the heart in prayer rather than catastrophic imagination.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At a lonely clearing marked by a single tree, the woman scans the darkness, clutching her shawl as if it were armor. In the undergrowth, coiled shapes and striped shadows suggest serpents and tigers; her face is lit by a faint, wavering glow as she whispers her fear for the absent vaiśya.","primary_figures":["the woman (lamenting)","implied vaiśya lover (absent)","serpents (suggested)","tiger (suggested)"],"setting":"Forest clearing at night with a meeting marker (tree/stone), dense bushes, and a narrow path disappearing into darkness.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["ashen silver","deep forest green","charcoal black","blood-red accent","pale saffron glow"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: nocturnal forest clearing with stylized trees, the woman in ornate attire yet distressed, hands raised in anxious gesture, serpent and tiger forms hinted in decorative patterns; gold leaf highlights on jewelry and moon halo, rich reds and greens, dramatic contrast between sacred ornamentation and fearful wilderness.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tender karuṇa scene—woman alone in a moonlit clearing, delicate foliage, subtle tiger stripes in shadow, refined tearful expression, cool silvers and blues with a small warm lamp glow, lyrical emptiness emphasizing absence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: expressive wide eyes, bold outlines, symbolic serpent coils and tiger silhouette integrated into vine motifs, strong indigo/ochre palette, mural-panel storytelling with the absent lover implied by an empty space opposite her gaze.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lonely figure framed by dense floral borders that morph into serpent and tiger motifs, deep blue night field with gold stars, intricate patterns conveying anxiety; lotus motifs subdued and closed, emphasizing fear and separation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["distant tiger roar (suggested)","rustling leaves","night insects","heartbeat-like mridang pulse","silence between lines"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nāgato = na + āgataḥ; vyaśaṃkiṣṭavilokitā parsed as vyaśaṃki + iṣṭavilokitā; sarpavyāghraiśca = sarpa-vyāghraiḥ + ca.
FAQs
Here “saṃketa” means a pre-arranged meeting place or tryst—an agreed location where someone is expected to arrive.
The verse highlights anxious fear born of separation: when the beloved does not arrive, the mind imagines dangers (snakes, tigers) and possible death.
It reflects how uncertainty can intensify worry and lead to fearful assumptions—encouraging steadiness of mind and seeking reliable knowledge before concluding the worst.