Shloka 21
The Abduction/Seduction of Ahalyā and Indra’s Mark
Sahasrākṣa
करोति सततं या च सा च नारी पतिव्रता । लंघयेद्या च तस्याज्ञां सुरते च विशेषतः
karoti satataṃ yā ca sā ca nārī pativratā | laṃghayedyā ca tasyājñāṃ surate ca viśeṣataḥ
สตรีผู้ประพฤติตามพระประสงค์ของสามีอยู่เสมอ ย่อมชื่อว่า “ปติวรตา” คือภรรยาผู้ภักดี. แต่ผู้ใดล่วงละเมิดคำสั่งของเขา—โดยเฉพาะในเรื่องการร่วมรัก—ย่อมไม่เป็นเช่นนั้น.
Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within the Adhyaya context)
Concept: Pativrata-dharma is defined as steady alignment with the husband’s injunctions; transgression—especially in sexual conduct—is treated as a breach of vow.
Application: Cultivate fidelity to one’s chosen vows and ethical commitments; treat intimacy as governed by consent, trust, and dharmic boundaries rather than impulse.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A quiet household shrine scene: a devoted wife stands near a lamp-lit Vishnu altar, hands folded, while her husband speaks calmly, symbolizing injunction and vow. The atmosphere is restrained and ethical, with subtle tension around the theme of boundaries in intimacy, conveyed through posture and distance rather than explicitness.","primary_figures":["Grihastha couple (pativrata and husband)","Vishnu (as household shrine icon)","Tulasi plant (as domestic sanctifier)"],"setting":"Interior of a traditional Vaishnava home with a small altar, tulasi vrindavana in the courtyard visible through a doorway, ritual vessels neatly arranged.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["warm saffron","deep indigo","brass gold","ivory white","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a dignified grihastha couple before a small Vishnu shrine, gold leaf halo around the Vishnu icon, rich maroon and emerald textiles, ornate jewelry rendered with gem-like highlights, a tulasi vrindavana at the edge, symmetrical composition emphasizing dharma and restraint.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: an intimate domestic courtyard with delicate linework, the wife in modest attire with refined facial features, the husband seated near ritual items, a tulasi plant and small Vishnu icon, cool pastel palette with lyrical naturalism and gentle moral tension.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, stylized large eyes, the couple near a lamp and conch, Vishnu icon with characteristic ornaments, red-yellow-green pigments, flat temple-wall aesthetic conveying dharmic instruction.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a Vaishnava home altar with lotus borders, tulasi motifs, a central Vishnu emblem framed by floral patterns, peacocks in the border, deep blue background with gold detailing, the couple shown reverently at the margins."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"authoritative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","steady tanpura drone","lamp crackle","brief silence between clauses"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: लंघयेद्या = लङ्घयेत् + या; तस्याज्ञां = तस्य + आज्ञाम्.
FAQs
It defines pativratā as steady fidelity to the husband’s directives, and warns that violating his command—particularly regarding sexual conduct—contradicts that ideal.
Because sexual conduct is treated as a sensitive area of household dharma, where consent, restraint, and adherence to marital norms are emphasized as markers of fidelity in the text’s moral framework.
The verse stresses constancy, obedience to agreed marital norms, and disciplined conduct—presenting these as essential virtues for sustaining dharmic household life.