Shloka 24
Within the Greatness of Guru-tīrtha: The Episode of Nahuṣa and Aśokasundarī
in the Cyavana account
तथा न धावते भद्रे पुंसमन्यं न मन्यते । एनं गंतव्यमावाभ्यां सखीभिर्गृहमेव हि
tathā na dhāvate bhadre puṃsamanyaṃ na manyate | enaṃ gaṃtavyamāvābhyāṃ sakhībhirgṛhameva hi
اسی طرح، اے بھدرے، وہ کسی مرد کے پیچھے نہیں دوڑتی؛ وہ کسی اور مرد کو اپنا نہیں مانتی۔ اس لیے سہیلیوں سمیت ہم دونوں کو یقیناً اسی کے گھر جانا چاہیے۔
Unspecified (dialogue context not provided in the excerpt)
Concept: Steadfast exclusivity (ananya-bhāva) and restraint are praised; one should not ‘run after’ many objects of attachment.
Application: Practice single-pointed commitment—avoid scattered desires; keep promises; choose one guiding ideal and return to it daily.
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A refined celestial maiden counsels her companion with calm certainty, gesturing toward a distant, lamp-lit house that symbolizes rightful union. Their attendants—sakhīs—stand in a semicircle, holding garlands and veils, as the decision to go ‘to his house’ settles like a vow.","primary_figures":["Rambhā","sakhī (female companion)","attendant apsarās"],"setting":"A palace corridor opening toward a courtyard path leading to a noble house; carved pillars, lotus motifs, and a threshold marked with auspicious symbols.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lotus pink","sandalwood beige","emerald green","antique gold","deep indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Rambhā and her sakhīs in a palace corridor pointing toward a lamp-lit household threshold, gold leaf embellishment on jewelry and architectural borders, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments, stylized lotus arches, traditional South Indian iconography with ornate halos and embossed gold detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate apsarās in translucent veils conferring softly, a lyrical courtyard path leading to a noble house, cool indigo shadows, refined facial features, floral borders, subtle emotion of fidelity and resolve, fine brushwork and gentle gradients.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, Rambhā and companion in graceful tribhaṅga, warm red-yellow-green palette, palace pillars with lotus medallions, expressive almond eyes, lamp-lit threshold rendered with flat yet vibrant pigments.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a symbolic ‘gṛha’ as sanctified space with lotus motifs and ornate borders, apsarās carrying garlands, peacocks near the courtyard, deep blues and gold, intricate floral frame suggesting auspicious entry and vow-like devotion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft ankle-bells","palace ambience","distant temple bell","night insects","gentle silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पुंसम्+अन्यम्→पुंसमन्यम्; गन्तव्यम्+आवाभ्याम्→गंतव्यमावाभ्याम्; सखीभिः+गृहम्→सखीभिर्गृहम्; गृहम्+एव→गृहमेव।
FAQs
It highlights fidelity and single-minded commitment—she does not pursue others and does not accept another man—prompting an appropriate, socially sanctioned next step: going to his home with companions.
The speaker cannot be identified from this single verse alone; the surrounding verses in Bhūmi-khaṇḍa, Adhyaya 113 are needed to confirm the dialogue participants.
It implies propriety and social witness—approaching a household matter with companions suggests decorum, safety, and communal validation in a sensitive interpersonal situation.