Shloka 21
The Account of Women
Householder Ethics, Fault, Merit, and Govinda-Nāma as Purification
घृतकुंभसमा नारी तप्तांगारसमः पुमान् । तस्माद्घृतं च वह्निं च नैकस्थाने च धारयेत्
ghṛtakuṃbhasamā nārī taptāṃgārasamaḥ pumān | tasmādghṛtaṃ ca vahniṃ ca naikasthāne ca dhārayet
สตรีดุจหม้อเนยใส (ฆฤตะ) บุรุษดุจกองถ่านเพลิงร้อนฉ่า เพราะฉะนั้นอย่าเก็บเนยใสและไฟไว้ร่วมกัน ณ ที่เดียว
Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher voice within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa; exact dialogue pair not provided in the excerpt)
Concept: Avoid placing combustible forces together; the verse uses a vivid metaphor to counsel separation and prudence to prevent moral ‘conflagration.’
Application: Treat temptation like fire-risk: set clear boundaries, avoid private compromising proximity, and cultivate disciplined routines (niyama).
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A symbolic still-life becomes a moral allegory: a clay pot brimming with golden ghee sits near a brazier of glowing embers, heat shimmering in the air. In the foreground, a sage points to the objects while Nārada watches, the warning conveyed through visual tension and near-contact.","primary_figures":["Nārada","didactic narrator-sage"],"setting":"Ashram teaching space with ritual implements; a small homa-kunda, clay vessels, and palm-leaf texts; the ghee pot and embers placed conspicuously close.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["ember orange","ghee gold","charcoal black","clay brown","ash white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: moral allegory with a gleaming ghee pot and a homa fire, sage instructing Nārada, gold leaf flames and halos, rich vermilion and emerald accents, embossed ornaments, temple-like framing and ornate borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate ashram interior, delicate rendering of glowing embers and translucent ghee, cool shadows with warm firelight, refined faces, minimal props, poetic symbolism and careful spacing between objects.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized fire in red-yellow gradients, ghee pot in ochre, Nārada with veena, teacher’s mudra emphasizing ‘do not combine,’ temple-wall aesthetic with patterned borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: decorative lotus border framing a symbolic homa scene, deep blue background with gold flames, intricate floral motifs, Nārada and sage rendered in devotional stylization, emphasis on luminous fire and golden ghee."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["crackling fire","homa chants in distance","soft conch","tanpura drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तस्माद्घृतं = तस्मात् + घृतम्; नैकस्थाने = न + एकस्थाने. Devanagari 'घृतकुंभसमा' is taken as घृत-कुम्भ-समाः (fem. nom. sg.) agreeing with नारी.
FAQs
It teaches prudence and restraint: do not place together two things whose combination leads quickly to harm—illustrated through the metaphor of ghee (fuel) and fire.
As a general warning about avoiding situations of intense temptation or volatility; when powerful impulses and triggering conditions meet, the outcome can be destructive.
Primarily a practical guideline framed as a moral maxim (nīti), using vivid imagery to advise careful conduct and avoidance of risky proximity.