Shloka 27
The Kāmodā Episode: Ocean-Churning Maiden, Tulasī Identity, and the Merit of Proper Flower-Offerings
क्व यासि त्वं च दैत्येंद्र सत्वरं च समातुरः । सांप्रतं केन कार्येण कस्यार्थं केन नोदितः
kva yāsi tvaṃ ca daityeṃdra satvaraṃ ca samāturaḥ | sāṃprataṃ kena kāryeṇa kasyārthaṃ kena noditaḥ
اے دَیتیوں کے سردار! تم اس قدر جلدی اور بےقراری کے ساتھ کہاں جا رہے ہو؟ اس وقت تم کس کام کے لیے جا رہے ہو—کس کے لیے، اور کس کے اکسانے پر؟
Unspecified (a narrator/character addressing the Daitya-king; exact speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Concept: Questioning one’s motive—‘for whom, urged by whom’—is a dharmic audit that reveals hidden drivers (kāma, fear, pride).
Application: Before acting in haste, ask: What is the real purpose? Who benefits? Am I being pushed by impulse or by wise principle?
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: hasya
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Nārada faces the Daitya-king on a forest track, one hand raised in gentle interrogation, his expression half-amused, half-serious. The Daitya’s body leans forward as if mid-stride, yet his head turns back—caught between momentum and the sage’s piercing questions.","primary_figures":["Nārada","Daitya-king (Daityendra)"],"setting":"Woodland corridor opening toward a flower-laden grove; faint celestial hints as if near Nandana’s sphere.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["pale gold","leaf green","carmine red","smoky violet","pearl white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Nārada questioning the Daitya-king—raised palm, vīṇā slung; the Daitya halted mid-stride; gold leaf halos, ornate jewelry, rich reds/greens, stylized forest arch framing the dialogue, embossed floral motifs suggesting Kāmodā.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate conversational tableau on a narrow forest path; delicate linework, expressive eyes, soft dawn wash, flowering trees and distant hills; the Daitya’s forward-leaning posture contrasted with Nārada’s poised stillness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: strong outlines, rhythmic gestures—Nārada’s questioning hand and the Daitya’s tense stance; saturated reds/yellows/greens, patterned garments, stylized foliage, mural-like symmetry emphasizing moral confrontation.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative vignette within ornate floral borders; Nārada’s inquiry depicted with lotus and creeper motifs; peacocks and parrots in margins; deep blue background with gold highlights, emphasizing the ‘kāma-grove’ allure."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["rustling leaves","brief conch accent","vīṇā pluck","silence after the question"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सांप्रतं = साम्प्रतम् (अनुस्वार-रूप); नोदितः = नुद् + क्त (नुदितः) → नोदितः (गुण)
FAQs
It is a direct inquiry into motive and agency: why the Daitya-king is rushing, what mission he is undertaking, whose interests it serves, and who is driving him to act.
The verse highlights accountability—actions should be examined for their purpose, beneficiaries, and influences, rather than being driven by agitation or external prompting.
Not explicitly. It functions primarily as dialogue setup; any sectarian or pilgrimage (tirtha) teaching would depend on the surrounding verses in Adhyaya 119.