Shloka 10
The Deeds of Sukalā (Vena Episode): Husband as Tīrtha & Pativratā-Dharma
कदा नैव मया त्याज्यं सामीप्यं ते द्विजोत्तम । तवच्छायां समाश्रित्य करिष्ये धर्ममुत्तमम्
kadā naiva mayā tyājyaṃ sāmīpyaṃ te dvijottama | tavacchāyāṃ samāśritya kariṣye dharmamuttamam
اے بہترین برہمن! میں کبھی بھی تمہاری قربت نہیں چھوڑوں گی۔ تمہارے ہی سائے کی پناہ لے کر میں اعلیٰ دھرم پر عمل کروں گی۔
Unspecified (a devotee/disciple addressing a Brahmin teacher)
Concept: Satsaṅga with a true brāhmaṇa/teacher is a refuge; remaining near the wise enables one to practice ‘uttama-dharma’.
Application: Choose mentors carefully; keep consistent proximity to elevating influences (study, community, routine), and let guidance shape conduct over time.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A disciple stands with folded hands beneath a spreading tree where a venerable brāhmaṇa-teacher sits on a kusa mat. The disciple gestures toward the teacher’s shadow as if it were a sanctuary, while manuscripts, a water pot, and a sacrificial ladle suggest disciplined learning and dharma-practice.","primary_figures":["disciple/devotee","brāhmaṇa teacher (dvijottama)"],"setting":"Forest āśrama under a banyan or aśvattha tree; simple hut, deer nearby, palm-leaf manuscripts and ritual implements.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["leaf green","bark brown","sunlit amber","chalk white","rust red"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: guru seated beneath a sacred tree with gold leaf halo, disciple in reverent posture, ornate border, rich reds and greens, gem-like detailing on ritual vessels, stylized āśrama architecture, emphasis on sanctity of the teacher’s presence.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: serene āśrama scene with delicate foliage, cool greens and soft amber light, refined faces, subtle narrative gesture of ‘taking refuge in the shade’, lyrical naturalism with birds and a quiet streamlet.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, teacher and disciple in iconic poses, patterned tree canopy, natural pigment palette, ritual objects simplified into symbolic forms, temple-wall compositional symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral border and lotus motifs framing a guru-sevā scene, deep blue ground with gold highlights, peacocks and cows as auspicious witnesses, stylized tree canopy like a mandala of protection."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["rustling leaves","low chanting of svādhyāya","wooden water pot clink","distant cuckoo","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नैव = न + एव; तवच्छायाम् = तव + छायाम्; धर्ममुत्तमम् = धर्मम् + उत्तमम्.
FAQs
It conveys śaraṇāgati—seeking protection and guidance under a respected teacher’s care, implying humility, trust, and willingness to be guided in dharma.
It links “highest dharma” with steadfast association (sāmīpya) with a virtuous guide, suggesting that proximity to the righteous supports one’s own righteous conduct.
Sustained commitment to good counsel and virtuous company is presented as a foundation for living well—one should not abandon uplifting association when pursuing the highest good.