Shloka 68
Sukalā’s Narrative (within the Vena Episode): Varāha, Ikṣvāku, and the Dharma of Battle
पदेपदे महत्स्नानं भागीरथ्याः प्रजायते । रणाद्भग्नो गृहं याति यो लोभाच्च प्रिये शृणु
padepade mahatsnānaṃ bhāgīrathyāḥ prajāyate | raṇādbhagno gṛhaṃ yāti yo lobhācca priye śṛṇu
ہر قدم پر بھاگیرتھی (گنگا) میں مہا اسنان کے برابر پُنّیہ پیدا ہوتا ہے۔ اور اے محبوب، سنو: جو لالچ کے باعث میدانِ جنگ سے پلٹ کر گھر چلا جائے، وہ ‘جنگ میں شکست خوردہ’ کہلاتا ہے۔
Mahādeva (Śiva) addressing Pārvatī (inferred from vocative 'priye')
Concept: Courage aligned with duty generates immense merit; greed-driven retreat is spiritual defeat, regardless of physical survival.
Application: Identify ‘greed-based retreat’ in daily life (cutting corners, abandoning commitments for gain). Replace it with principled steadiness; take small ‘steps’ of integrity—each step becomes purifying.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Mahādeva stands on a rocky riverbank where the Bhāgīrathī rushes in turquoise-white torrents, speaking to Pārvatī with stern tenderness. Behind them, a symbolic battlefield appears like a vision—footsteps glowing on the ground, each step turning into a tiny Gaṅgā-snān aura—while a shadowy figure of a greedy deserter turns back toward home, shrinking into dusk.","primary_figures":["Mahādeva (Śiva)","Pārvatī","symbolic deserter (anonymous)"],"setting":"Himalayan Gaṅgā headstream bank with pine silhouettes; visionary overlay of battlefield and a homeward path.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance with sharp, clarifying contrast","color_palette":["ash white","river turquoise","rudraksha brown","himalayan slate","aura gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Śiva and Pārvatī seated near a stylized Bhāgīrathī rendered with gold-leaf ripples; Śiva’s gesture instructive, Pārvatī attentive; in the background, a symbolic battlefield vignette with glowing footprints (each a ‘snāna’ halo) and a small figure retreating; rich reds/greens, ornate jewelry, heavy gold embellishment and temple-arch framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Himalayan river scene with cool blues and grays; Śiva speaks softly yet firmly to Pārvatī; delicate depiction of rushing water and pine trees; a faint narrative inset shows a man turning back from battle, emphasizing moral lesson; refined faces and lyrical landscape.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines of Śiva–Pārvatī with characteristic eyes; Bhāgīrathī as stylized wave band; symbolic footprints as repeated golden motifs; the deserter as a dark silhouette; flat natural pigments with temple-wall storytelling clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Śiva–Pārvatī framed by lotus borders; the river as a decorative band with floral motifs; repeated footprint halos like patterned ornaments; deep blue background with gold highlights; peacocks near the riverbank, intricate textile-like detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["rushing river","damaru (subtle)","temple bells","conch shell","thunder-like drum accents"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पदेपदे = पदे + पदे (reduplication); रणाद्भग्नो = रणात् + भग्नः; लोभाच्च = लोभात् + च.
FAQs
It states that with each step one gains great religious merit equivalent to a major Gaṅgā-bath (mahatsnāna), highlighting the tīrtha’s sanctifying power.
Greed (lobha) is shown as a cause of moral failure: it makes a person abandon duty and retreat, which the verse labels as being ‘defeated’ even without being physically overcome.
The vocative 'priye' (“O beloved”) is characteristic of Śiva–Pārvatī dialogues in Purāṇic passages; in the Padma Purāṇa this pair frequently frames dharma and tīrtha teachings.