Shloka 40
The Tale of Sukalā: Testing Pativratā Fidelity and the Body-as-House Teaching
गतस्ते निर्घृणो भर्ता त्वां त्यक्त्वा तु वरानने । किं करिष्यसि तेनापि प्रियाघातकरेण च
gataste nirghṛṇo bhartā tvāṃ tyaktvā tu varānane | kiṃ kariṣyasi tenāpi priyāghātakareṇa ca
Umalis na ang iyong asawang walang-awa, iniwan ka, O marikit ang mukha. Ano pa ang magagawa mo sa kanya—sa pumipinsala sa minamahal?
Unspecified (context-dependent dialogue voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa 53)
Concept: Do not cling to one who violates dharma and harms what is dear; discernment protects the heart and restores agency.
Application: Recognize harmful relationships; choose dignity and safety, seek support, and redirect dependence toward stable spiritual practice and community.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stern counselor confronts a distraught woman, pointing toward an empty road where the husband has departed, the gesture sharp with moral clarity. The woman’s face shows shock and grief, while the speaker’s expression burns with protective indignation, urging her to release the betrayer.","primary_figures":["female counselor/speaker","abandoned wife (varānanā)","departed husband (silhouette or distant figure)"],"setting":"edge of a village street or palace gate opening to a dusty path; a threshold symbolizing abandonment and choice","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["steel blue","ashen beige","crimson accent","shadow black","pale silver"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic threshold scene with the abandoned wife near a gate, counselor in assertive posture, distant silhouette of the husband on a path, gold leaf used sparingly for jewelry and a small Vishnu emblem signifying true refuge, deep reds and blues heightening raudra-karuna tension.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: moonlit departure road, delicate rendering of emotion—tearful wife, firm counselor—cool blues and silvers, sparse landscape with a gate and receding figure, lyrical yet morally charged composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, intense facial expressions, strong red and black contrasts, counselor’s admonishing gesture, stylized gate and path, moral drama emphasized through posture and eye direction.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative panel framed with lotus and vine borders, deep blue ground with silver-white moon motifs, figures richly patterned, a subtle Vaishnava symbol (chakra/shankha) indicating the higher refuge beyond unreliable human ties."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp bell strike","dry wind","distant footsteps fading","low drum accent","brief silence after admonition"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: gataste = gataḥ + te; tenāpi = tena + api; priyāghātakareṇa = priyā-ghātakareṇa.
FAQs
It warns against clinging to a person who has abandoned you and is described as merciless—especially someone whose actions harm what you hold dear.
It denotes a person who becomes a cause of pain or injury to what is प्रिय (dear/beloved)—suggesting emotional cruelty or destructive behavior toward cherished bonds.
Both: it urges letting go of attachment to an unworthy, harmful partner and implies a dharmic form of self-preservation rather than dependence on cruelty.