Shloka 19
The Tale of Sukalā: Testing Pativratā Fidelity and the Body-as-House Teaching
सुरूपं सगुणं देव मम बाणा हता सती । चलते नात्र संदेहो विपाकं नैव चिंतयेत्
surūpaṃ saguṇaṃ deva mama bāṇā hatā satī | calate nātra saṃdeho vipākaṃ naiva ciṃtayet
O Panginoon, tinamaan ng aking palaso ang banal na babaeng yaon—maganda ang anyo at hitik sa kabutihan. Siya’y tunay na kumikilos; walang alinlangan. Huwag pag-alalahanin ang huling bunga ng gawaing ito.
Unclear from single-verse context (likely a male speaker addressing 'deva'—a lord/king/deity).
Concept: Do not dismiss karmic consequence (‘vipāka’); adharma’s immediate success is not proof of righteousness.
Application: When tempted to rationalize harm, remember delayed consequences; choose dharmic action and seek atonement (prāyaścitta) when wrong is done.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A hardened archer-figure (or personified vice) reports to a ‘Lord’ that his arrow has struck a virtuous, beautiful woman, and urges not to think of consequences. The woman staggers yet remains luminous, while behind the speaker a looming wheel-like shadow hints at inevitable karma returning.","primary_figures":["boastful archer/vice-personification","the virtuous woman (struck)","a ‘deva’ listener (off-frame or enthroned silhouette)","karma-wheel shadow (symbolic)"],"setting":"A palace hall or battlefield-edge rendered symbolically—half courtly, half moral dreamscape.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["blood crimson","burnt umber","pearl white","antique gold","storm blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: courtly scene with an arrogant archer presenting his deed, the struck woman glowing with pearl-white purity, and a subtle gold-leaf chakra motif behind indicating karmic return; rich reds and greens, heavy ornamentation, gold leaf borders and divine symbols.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined court setting with delicate architecture, the archer’s smug expression contrasted with the woman’s luminous sorrow; a faint wheel motif in the sky, cool blues and warm ochres, fine brushwork.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, the archer in red-black tones, the woman in bright yellow-white with serene face, a large stylized wheel-shadow behind; strong contrast, temple-wall symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical composition—central luminous figure (virtue) with dark arrow motif, surrounded by circular floral border echoing the karma-wheel; deep blue ground, gold highlights, symbolic rather than literal violence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp drum strokes","conch blast (distant)","echoing hall ambience","sudden hush"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नात्र = न + अत्र; नैव = न + एव.
FAQs
It depicts a speaker reporting an act (a woman being struck by an arrow) while asserting her continued movement and advising against anxiety over the eventual karmic outcome (vipāka).
Vipāka means the ripening or final consequence/result of an action—often used in karmic and ethical discussions as the eventual fruition of deeds.
The verse praises the woman as virtuous and admirable, yet treats harm done to her as a reportable event and discourages concern about consequences, creating a moral tension that typically requires surrounding narrative context to interpret.