Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 20
Yayāti Ensnared by Desire: Gandharva Marriage, Aśvamedha, and the Demand to See the Worlds
अश्रुबिंदुमत्युवाच । संजातं दोहदं कांत तन्मे कुरु मनोरथम् । अश्वमेधमखश्रेष्ठं यजस्व पृथिवीपते
aśrubiṃdumatyuvāca | saṃjātaṃ dohadaṃ kāṃta tanme kuru manoratham | aśvamedhamakhaśreṣṭhaṃ yajasva pṛthivīpate
Aśrubindumatī nói: “Hỡi người yêu dấu, trong thiếp đã khởi lên dohada (khát vọng của thai nghén)—xin hãy thành tựu điều ước này. Hỡi chúa tể cõi đất, hãy cử hành Aśvamedha, đại tế yajña tối thượng.”
Aśrubindumatī
Concept: Desire can instrumentalize even sacred rites; yajña performed from kāma may yield worldly results but risks missing the higher aim of purification and devotion.
Application: Examine motives behind ‘religious’ actions—are they for ego/status or for inner purification and service? Reframe rituals as offerings to Hari.
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Aśrubindumatī, adorned with delicate ornaments, places a hand on her belly as she speaks of dohada, her eyes bright with insistence. Behind her words, the vision of an Aśvamedha unfolds: a consecrated horse, white and garlanded, stands near a blazing altar as priests prepare ladles of ghee and chant.","primary_figures":["Aśrubindumatī","King Yayāti","Vedic priests (ṛtviks)","Consecrated Aśvamedha horse"],"setting":"palace-to-sacrificial transition: foreground in royal chamber, background dissolving into a vast yajña-śālā with altars, banners, and ritual implements","lighting_mood":"firelit sacrificial glow","color_palette":["flame orange","ghee gold","ash gray","sandalwood beige","royal purple"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Aśrubindumatī requesting Aśvamedha from Yayāti; gold leaf on jewelry and ritual vessels; a luminous yajña fire with ornate altar; the consecrated horse richly caparisoned; priests in white with red borders; rich crimson-green architectural framing and lotus borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate dialogue in a palace pavilion with a lyrical glimpse of the yajña ground beyond; fine detailing of the horse’s garlands and the priests’ implements; soft smoky firelight, cool shadows; elegant gestures emphasizing dohada and royal obligation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized yajña scene with bold outlines—horse, fire altar, priests chanting; Aśrubindumatī in front with expressive eyes and hand on belly; warm reds and yellows dominate; ritual geometry simplified into iconic forms.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ceremonial composition with ornate borders; the horse central like a sacred motif, surrounded by floral patterns; deep blue background with gold highlights; figures arranged symmetrically; lotuses and peacocks at corners, blending courtly and devotional aesthetics."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["crackling yajña fire","Vedic chant undertone","conch shell distant","metal ladles clinking","drum accents"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अश्रुबिंदुमत्युवाच = अश्रुबिन्दुमती + उवाच; तन्मे = तत् + मे; अश्वमेधमखश्रेष्ठं = अश्वमेध-मख-श्रेष्ठम् (समास/समाहार).
FAQs
Dohada refers to a pregnant woman’s craving or longing, traditionally treated as something that should be respectfully fulfilled for her well-being.
The Aśvamedha is portrayed as a premier royal sacrifice, signaling kingly sovereignty, merit, and public religious duty; here it is requested as the fulfilment of her desire.
It implies attentiveness to a spouse’s needs—especially during pregnancy—while also framing royal responsibility through the performance of major Vedic rites.