Shloka 98
The Account and Merit of Śivadūtī
with the Nāga-tīrtha at Puṣkara
याचयामासुरव्यग्रास्तां तु देवीं बुभुक्षिताः । बुभुक्षिता वयं देवि देहि नो भोजनं वरम्
yācayāmāsuravyagrāstāṃ tu devīṃ bubhukṣitāḥ | bubhukṣitā vayaṃ devi dehi no bhojanaṃ varam
เหล่าเทวีผู้หิวโหยและร้อนรนได้ทูลวิงวอนพระเทวีนั้นว่า “ข้าแต่พระเทวี พวกเราหิวเหลือเกิน โปรดประทานภักษาหารอันประเสริฐแก่พวกเราเถิด”
Hungry supplicants (group) addressing the Devi (Goddess)
Concept: In distress, beings instinctively seek the Divine as provider; need becomes a doorway to surrender.
Application: Transform lack into prayer without bitterness; ask for ‘vara’ (what is truly beneficial), not merely what is immediately craved.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A cluster of gaunt supplicants, eyes wide with desperation, kneel before a radiant Devī seated on a lotus pedestal. Their hands are outstretched in a single gesture of pleading, while the Goddess’ face shows compassionate concern, as if weighing how to answer their hunger.","primary_figures":["Devī","hungry supplicants"],"setting":"mythic forest-clearing or shrine-like open space with a lotus-seat and simple offerings","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["lotus pink","vermillion red","saffron gold","deep indigo","ash gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Devī enthroned on a lotus with gold leaf halo, rich red-green silk garments, gem-studded crown and ornaments; a ring of hungry supplicants kneeling with folded hands, stylized temple floor, ornate arch (prabhāmaṇḍala), heavy gold embellishment emphasizing compassion and divine authority.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a gentle Devī in delicate profile seated on a lotus in a quiet grove, pale sky and soft hills; thin-limbed supplicants with expressive faces, refined brushwork, lyrical trees and flowering shrubs, cool greens and blues with a warm pink focal lotus.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Devī with bold black outlines, large almond eyes, red-yellow-green palette; supplicants in simplified forms at her feet, ritual lamps and banana-leaf offerings nearby, temple-wall aesthetic with patterned borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lotus throne with Devī framed by intricate floral borders, stylized lotuses and vines; surrounding figures in symmetrical arrangement, deep blue background with gold detailing, devotional textile richness and ornate motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["dry wind","distant temple bell","soft drum pulse","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: याचयामासुरव्यग्राः = याचयामासुः + अव्यग्राः; अव्यग्राः ताम् (अव्यग्राः is subject-qualifier);
FAQs
The verse directly addresses the Devi (the Goddess), approached as a giver of boons and sustenance.
It highlights human dependence and humility—when in need, one seeks help respectfully and asks for what sustains life (food) rather than excess.
Even a basic request becomes devotional when directed to the divine with reverence (“devi”) and trust that the deity can provide protection and nourishment.