Shloka 176
Puṣkara Sacrifice: Gāyatrī’s Marriage, Sāvitrī’s Wrath, Rudra’s Test, and the Tīrtha-Māhātmya
दह्यमाना दिवारात्रौ वंध्याशब्देन दूषिताः । गौर्य्यप्येवं तदा शप्ता सावित्र्या वरवर्णिनी
dahyamānā divārātrau vaṃdhyāśabdena dūṣitāḥ | gauryyapyevaṃ tadā śaptā sāvitryā varavarṇinī
เหล่านางถูกเผาไหม้ทั้งกลางวันและกลางคืน มัวหมองด้วยคำดูหมิ่นว่า “เป็นหมัน”; และในกาลนั้นเอง พระนางคาวรีก็ถูกพระนางสาวิตรีผู้ผิวพรรณผ่องงามสาปเช่นเดียวกัน
Narrator (contextual; specific speaker not explicit in this single verse excerpt)
Concept: Cruel labeling and stigma (‘vandhyā’) becomes a form of violence; inner burning arises from external contempt and unresolved destiny.
Application: Avoid shaming speech; respond to stigma with compassion and constructive support; seek refuge in the divine when social identity wounds the heart.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Gaurī stands apart, her eyes reddened from ceaseless tears, while the word ‘vandhyā’ seems to hang like smoke around her. Sāvitrī, fair and radiant yet severe, is shown as the source of the curse, and the surrounding celestial women avert their gaze in uneasy silence.","primary_figures":["Gaurī (Pārvatī)","Sāvitrī","Deva-patnīs/attendants"],"setting":"A quiet corner of the celestial precinct—near a lotus pond or palace corridor—where private grief spills into public shame.","lighting_mood":"moonlit with cold, aching clarity","color_palette":["ashen silver","lotus pink","pale gold","indigo night","smoke gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Gaurī with tearful wide eyes, ornaments slightly disordered, seated near a lotus pond; Sāvitrī standing with composed sternness, both with gold-leaf halos; embossed gold borders, rich textile patterns, the stigma visualized as a faint smoky script-like aura around Gaurī.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate emotional vignette—Gaurī in profile with delicate tears, Sāvitrī at a respectful distance; soft indigo sky, lotus pond, minimal architecture; fine brushwork emphasizing facial emotion and the quiet cruelty of words.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized Gaurī with large expressive eyes and flowing hair, seated in sorrow; Sāvitrī upright with authoritative posture; bold outlines, natural pigments, ornamental creeper borders; a dark halo-like cloud behind Gaurī to show inner burning.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: lotus pond foreground with intricate floral border; Gaurī centered, surrounded by lotuses and peacocks that appear subdued; the curse suggested by a dark swirling floral motif; deep blues and gold with pink lotuses, textile-like detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["soft weeping undertone","night insects","distant temple bell","still water ambience"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dahyamānāḥ + divā -> dahyamānā divā (Visarga lopa); gaurī + api -> gauryapi (Yan Sandhi); gauryapi + evam -> gauryapyevam (Yan Sandhi).
FAQs
It states that Gaurī was cursed by Sāvitrī, with the verse highlighting the pain and disgrace caused by the taunt “barren,” endured day and night.
It implies that harsh, stigmatizing speech can cause deep suffering and can escalate into serious consequences, such as conflict and curses, even among revered figures.
As part of a creation-era narrative style that uses dramatic events—like curses—to illustrate moral causality (karma), the power of speech, and the unfolding of cosmic/social order.