Shloka 23
The Episode of Cyavana
Cyavana’s Hermitage and the Power of Tapas
शत्रुघ्न उवाच । सुमते कस्य संस्थानं मुनेर्भाति पुरोगतम् । निर्वैरिजंतु संसेव्यं मुनिवृंदसमाकुलम्
śatrughna uvāca | sumate kasya saṃsthānaṃ munerbhāti purogatam | nirvairijaṃtu saṃsevyaṃ munivṛṃdasamākulam
ศัตรุฆนะกล่าวว่า “โอ้สุมัติ อาศรมที่ส่องประกายอยู่เบื้องหน้านี้เป็นของมุนีผู้ใดเล่า เป็นที่มาสู่ของสรรพสัตว์ผู้ไร้เวรภัย และแน่นขนัดด้วยหมู่มุนีทั้งหลาย”
Śatrughna
Concept: Sattva and non-enmity naturally arise around realized sages; holiness is recognized by its harmonizing effect on beings.
Application: Seek environments and company that reduce inner hostility—satsaṅga, āśrama/temple spaces, and habits of non-harm.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Śatrughna pauses at the edge of a luminous forest clearing where an ancient hermitage glows softly, as if the very air is washed clean. Deer and birds move without fear among clusters of seated sages, while the path ahead seems to shimmer with tapas-born radiance.","primary_figures":["Śatrughna","Sumati","forest sages (muni-vṛnda)","peaceful animals (deer, peacocks, birds)"],"setting":"Forest āśrama with leaf-huts, sacrificial fire altar, water pots, and flowering creepers; a clear path leading into the hermitage.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled with divine radiance","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","leaf green","smoke-gray","lotus pink","golden amber"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Śatrughna in royal attire with bow and quiver stands reverently at a glowing forest hermitage entrance; sages seated around a small agni-kuṇḍa, deer and peacocks nearby, ornate gold leaf halo-like radiance around the āśrama clearing, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments, traditional South Indian iconography and architectural borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a tranquil Himalayan-like forest clearing with delicate brushwork; Śatrughna and Sumati on a narrow path, sages in white garments under flowering trees, gentle animals unafraid; cool greens and soft ochres, refined faces, lyrical naturalism, distant blue hills and a thin stream glinting.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; Śatrughna and Sumati at left, central āśrama with agni and seated ṛṣis, stylized deer and birds; temple-wall aesthetic with red/yellow/green dominance, large expressive eyes, rhythmic foliage patterns.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a sacred grove rendered with intricate floral borders and lotus motifs; peaceful animals and sage-figures arranged symmetrically; deep blues and gold accents, peacocks and vines framing the luminous hermitage, devotional serenity emphasized."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["forest birds","soft wind in leaves","distant flowing water","temple bells (faint)","ritual fire crackle"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मुनेर्भाति→मुनेः + भाति; निर्वैरिजंतु→निर्वैरि + जन्तु.
FAQs
He asks Sumati to identify whose radiant hermitage lies ahead—an abode of a sage that is frequented by harmless beings and filled with many sages.
It suggests an atmosphere of non-violence and harmony: even animals or beings there are free from hostility, reflecting the sanctity and dharmic power of the sage’s presence.
A true holy place is marked by peace, safety, and the company of realized sages—implying that spiritual life cultivates non-enmity (ahimsā) and elevating associations (satsaṅga).