Shloka 13
The Slaying of Bala–Nāmuci
मुंचंति चार्तनादांश्च सिंहनादं मुहुर्मुहुः । केषांचिद्बाहवश्छिन्नाश्छिन्नपादास्तथापरे
muṃcaṃti cārtanādāṃśca siṃhanādaṃ muhurmuhuḥ | keṣāṃcidbāhavaśchinnāśchinnapādāstathāpare
พวกเขาเปล่งเสียงร้องด้วยความเจ็บปวดและคำรามดั่งราชสีห์ซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่า สำหรับบางคน แขนของพวกเขาถูกตัดขาด; สำหรับคนอื่น ๆ เท้าของพวกเขาถูกฟันจนขาด
Unspecified narrator (contextual narration within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa; speaker not identifiable from single verse alone)
Concept: Suffering and aggression coexist in samsaric struggle—cries of pain and roars of pride arise together; bodily identity is fragile and easily severed.
Application: Contemplate impermanence to reduce arrogance; channel ‘lion-roar’ energy into disciplined courage for dharma and service rather than harm.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The battlefield becomes a chorus: anguished cries rise like smoke while warriors answer with lion-roars, mouths open wide, eyes blazing. In the foreground, severed arms and feet lie amid broken shields, yet banners still whip in the wind as if refusing to accept defeat. The scene feels both ferocious and tragic, a storm of sound made visible.","primary_figures":["Devas (roaring)","Dānavas/Asuras (crying and roaring)"],"setting":"Close battlefield foreground with fallen limbs, shattered shields, dust and smoke columns, whipping standards","lighting_mood":"harsh, dust-filled glare with smoky haze","color_palette":["rust red","dust ochre","smoke gray","steel blue","tarnished gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central roaring warrior framed by ornate arch, gold leaf on armor and weapon edges; surrounding figures in alternating poses of lament and roar; stylized severed limbs rendered symbolically (not gratuitous), with rich reds/greens and gem-like ornamentation contrasting the tragedy; intricate border motifs like flames and lotuses turned thorny.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: dynamic diagonal composition—standards and spears slanting, delicate depiction of dust haze; expressive faces showing karuṇa and raudra together; restrained gore, emphasis on gesture and emotion; cool steel blues against warm ochres.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: rhythmic repetition of open mouths (roar/cry), bold outlines, patterned armor; symbolic severed limbs as simplified forms; red-yellow-green palette with smoky gray background bands, temple-wall grandeur applied to war tableau.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a frieze of alternating ‘ārtanāda’ and ‘siṃhanāda’ figures, ornate borders with stylized claws and lotus petals; deep blue ground, rust-red accents; narrative treated as allegory of ego and suffering, with intricate textile ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["lion-like roars","human wails","drum rolls","metal clashes","dusty wind"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: muṃcaṃti = मुञ्चन्ति (अनुस्वार-लेखनभेद); cārtanādāṃśca = च + आर्तनादान् + च; keṣāṃcidbāhavaśchinnāḥ = केषाम् + चित् + बाहवः + छिन्नाः; chinnāśchinna- = छिन्नाः + छिन्न- (विसर्ग-सन्धि)
FAQs
The verse depicts a battlefield (or violent conflict) scene where combatants cry out in pain and roar defiantly, while many are grievously wounded with severed limbs.
It juxtaposes suffering and bravado: the same conflict produces intense pain (ārtanāda) and fierce defiance (siṃhanāda), capturing the psychological extremes of battle.
Such graphic violence commonly functions as a reminder of the destructive consequences of conflict and the fragility of the body, encouraging reflection on dharma, restraint, and the karmic cost of harmful action.