Shloka 21
The Account of Women
Householder Ethics, Fault, Merit, and Govinda-Nāma as Purification
घृतकुंभसमा नारी तप्तांगारसमः पुमान् । तस्माद्घृतं च वह्निं च नैकस्थाने च धारयेत्
ghṛtakuṃbhasamā nārī taptāṃgārasamaḥ pumān | tasmādghṛtaṃ ca vahniṃ ca naikasthāne ca dhārayet
عورت گھی کے مٹکے کی مانند ہے اور مرد دہکتے انگاروں کے ڈھیر کی مانند۔ اس لیے گھی اور آگ کو ایک ہی جگہ اکٹھا نہ رکھا جائے۔
Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher voice within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa; exact dialogue pair not provided in the excerpt)
Concept: Avoid placing combustible forces together; the verse uses a vivid metaphor to counsel separation and prudence to prevent moral ‘conflagration.’
Application: Treat temptation like fire-risk: set clear boundaries, avoid private compromising proximity, and cultivate disciplined routines (niyama).
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A symbolic still-life becomes a moral allegory: a clay pot brimming with golden ghee sits near a brazier of glowing embers, heat shimmering in the air. In the foreground, a sage points to the objects while Nārada watches, the warning conveyed through visual tension and near-contact.","primary_figures":["Nārada","didactic narrator-sage"],"setting":"Ashram teaching space with ritual implements; a small homa-kunda, clay vessels, and palm-leaf texts; the ghee pot and embers placed conspicuously close.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["ember orange","ghee gold","charcoal black","clay brown","ash white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: moral allegory with a gleaming ghee pot and a homa fire, sage instructing Nārada, gold leaf flames and halos, rich vermilion and emerald accents, embossed ornaments, temple-like framing and ornate borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate ashram interior, delicate rendering of glowing embers and translucent ghee, cool shadows with warm firelight, refined faces, minimal props, poetic symbolism and careful spacing between objects.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized fire in red-yellow gradients, ghee pot in ochre, Nārada with veena, teacher’s mudra emphasizing ‘do not combine,’ temple-wall aesthetic with patterned borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: decorative lotus border framing a symbolic homa scene, deep blue background with gold flames, intricate floral motifs, Nārada and sage rendered in devotional stylization, emphasis on luminous fire and golden ghee."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["crackling fire","homa chants in distance","soft conch","tanpura drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तस्माद्घृतं = तस्मात् + घृतम्; नैकस्थाने = न + एकस्थाने. Devanagari 'घृतकुंभसमा' is taken as घृत-कुम्भ-समाः (fem. nom. sg.) agreeing with नारी.
FAQs
It teaches prudence and restraint: do not place together two things whose combination leads quickly to harm—illustrated through the metaphor of ghee (fuel) and fire.
As a general warning about avoiding situations of intense temptation or volatility; when powerful impulses and triggering conditions meet, the outcome can be destructive.
Primarily a practical guideline framed as a moral maxim (nīti), using vivid imagery to advise careful conduct and avoidance of risky proximity.