Shloka 118
The Five Great Sacrifices: Supremacy of Honoring Parents, Pativrata Dharma, Truthfulness, and Śrāddha
एवं संवत्सरस्यार्द्धे तत्पतिश्चागतः पुरं । अपृच्छत्तं च लोकेषु तस्या वृत्तमथोदितम्
evaṃ saṃvatsarasyārddhe tatpatiścāgataḥ puraṃ | apṛcchattaṃ ca lokeṣu tasyā vṛttamathoditam
یوں آدھا برس گزرنے پر اس کا شوہر شہر آیا۔ اس نے لوگوں میں اس کے بارے میں پوچھا، تب اس کی سرگزشت بیان کی گئی۔
Narrator (contextual prose narration within the Adhyaya; specific dialogue-speaker not explicit in this verse alone)
Concept: Time reveals hidden actions; society becomes the mirror through which dharma and adharma are narrated and judged.
Application: Act as though your deeds will be known; cultivate integrity and accountability; seek reconciliation and truth when returning after absence.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A travel-worn husband enters a bustling city gate after six months, dust on his cloak, eyes searching. He questions townspeople in a marketplace, and a circle forms as the tale begins to spill into the open—faces turning from curiosity to shock.","primary_figures":["husband (returning traveler)","townspeople","storyteller/elder citizen"],"setting":"city gate leading into a market street with stalls, banners, and a distant palace silhouette","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sunlit gold","terracotta","turquoise","cream","copper brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: grand city-entry scene—returning husband at an ornate gateway, townspeople gathered in a semicircle, an elder narrating; gold leaf on gateway carvings and jewelry, rich reds/greens in garments, gem-like highlights, formal composition with narrative clarity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lively bazaar inquiry—delicate figures, expressive faces, pastel architecture, distant hills hinted; refined brushwork, cool-warm balance, the husband leaning toward an elder as the story begins.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined city gate and clustered citizens; strong reds/yellows/greens, stylized architecture, large expressive eyes conveying curiosity and surprise; narrative panel feel like a temple wall chronicle.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: pavilion-like market framed by floral borders—crowd arranged rhythmically, lotuses and vines around the edges, deep blue background with gold accents; peacocks perched on a rooftop beam, emphasizing ‘kathā’ unfolding in public."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["market murmur","footsteps","distant bell","street vendor calls","soft drum pulse"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: संवत्सरस्यार्द्धे = संवत्सरस्य + अर्द्धे; तत्पतिश्चागतः = तत्पतिः + च + आगतः; अपृच्छत्तं = अपृच्छत् + तम्; वृत्तमथोदितम् = वृत्तम् + अथ + उदितम्
FAQs
After half a year, the woman’s husband returns to the city and asks people about her; her situation is then recounted to him.
No. This verse is a narrative transition and does not name any deity, tīrtha, or cosmological detail on its own.
It highlights accountability and social witnessing: a person’s conduct and circumstances become known in society, and inquiry leads to truth being disclosed.