Shloka 22
The Glory of the Devoted Wife (Pativratā) and the Māṇḍavya Curse: Sunrise Halted and Restored
तदा मे सफलं जन्म कुरु साध्वि हितं मम । यदि मां कुष्ठिनं दीनं पूतिगंधं नवव्रणम्
tadā me saphalaṃ janma kuru sādhvi hitaṃ mama | yadi māṃ kuṣṭhinaṃ dīnaṃ pūtigaṃdhaṃ navavraṇam
โอ้สตรีผู้ประพฤติดี โปรดทำให้การเกิดของข้าพเจ้าสำเร็จผล—จงกระทำสิ่งที่เป็นประโยชน์แก่ข้าพเจ้า—แม้ข้าพเจ้าจะเป็นโรคเรื้อน ยากไร้ มีกลิ่นเหม็น และเต็มไปด้วยแผลเก้าแห่ง
Unspecified male speaker (a suffering/afflicted man addressing a virtuous woman)
Concept: Compassion toward the afflicted makes life ‘fruitful’ (saphala-janma); bodily impurity does not negate the soul’s claim to care and dharmic assistance.
Application: Practice non-disgust compassion: offer help to the sick, socially shunned, or stigmatized; measure ‘fruitful life’ by service rendered rather than status or appearance.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A leprous, emaciated man with bandaged sores kneels with folded hands before a calm, radiant sādhvī. Despite the harshness of his condition—torn cloth, pallid skin, and visible wounds—the woman’s gaze is steady and compassionate, suggesting inner purity surpassing outer stigma.","primary_figures":["Afflicted man (kūṣṭhin)","Sādhvī (virtuous woman)"],"setting":"A modest village threshold near a small courtyard, with earthen pots, a simple doorway, and hints of dawn approaching; bystanders kept indistinct to emphasize the intimate moral appeal.","lighting_mood":"pre-dawn hush turning to soft dawn glow","color_palette":["ash gray","earth brown","saffron ochre","soft ivory","deep indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: the sādhvī seated or standing in composed blessing posture at a village threshold, gold leaf halo and ornate border framing her serenity; the afflicted man kneels in humility with visible bandages and sores rendered symbolically, rich reds/greens in textiles, gem-like highlights on bangles and a subtle gold aura indicating dharma’s radiance overcoming impurity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate linework showing the man’s frailty and the sādhvī’s gentle expression; cool dawn sky, minimal architecture, lyrical naturalism with a quiet courtyard and a distant tree, refined faces and restrained emotion, soft washes of indigo and ochre.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and stylized anatomy; the sādhvī with large expressive eyes and calm smile, the afflicted man in supplication; natural pigment palette with warm ochres and deep greens, temple-wall aesthetic even in a domestic setting, emphasizing dharma as sacred.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a symbolic Vaishnava overlay—lotus motifs and a faint Viṣṇu aura in the background suggesting divine witness; ornate floral borders, deep blues and gold, the sādhvī’s compassion framed as devotional service to the Lord present in all beings."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant dogs quieting","pre-dawn silence","soft wind"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: No major external sandhi beyond standard euphony; pūtigaṃdhaṃ → pūti-gandham; navavraṇam → nava-vraṇam.
FAQs
The speaker begs a virtuous woman to make his life meaningful by doing what is truly beneficial for him, despite his diseased and repulsive condition.
It highlights compassion beyond appearances—dharma is tested by how one treats the suffering and socially stigmatized.
No. This shloka is personal and dialogic, focusing on the speaker’s condition and moral appeal rather than naming places or deities.