Shloka 14
Womb-Suffering and the Path to Liberation
Dialogue of Wisdom, Meditation, and Discernment
पंचविंशांगुलो गर्भस्तेन पीडा विजायते । एवं संपीड्यमानस्तु मूर्च्छया मूर्च्छितः प्रिये
paṃcaviṃśāṃgulo garbhastena pīḍā vijāyate | evaṃ saṃpīḍyamānastu mūrcchayā mūrcchitaḥ priye
Khi bào thai dài đến hai mươi lăm đốt ngón tay, cơn đau dữ dội liền khởi lên. Bị ép chặt và co rút như thế, hỡi người yêu dấu, nó ngất lịm vì choáng váng.
Mahādeva (Śiva)
Concept: Embodiment is inseparable from duḥkha; recognizing the pain of birth supports dispassion and the turn toward liberation.
Application: Use remembrance of life’s inherent vulnerability to soften pride, increase compassion for mothers/infants, and intensify daily japa/namasmaraṇa as the stable refuge.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Śiva, compassionate yet grave, narrates to his beloved as the scene shifts to a symbolic depiction of the fetus pressed within a narrowing lotus-tunnel, the petals tightening like fate. The tiny being’s aura flickers as it swoons, while the surrounding space conveys both sacred inevitability and deep pathos.","primary_figures":["Mahādeva (Śiva)","Pārvatī (implied by 'priye')","Fetus as jīva"],"setting":"A mythic teaching tableau: Śiva and Pārvatī seated on Kailāsa-like rock ledge in the upper plane; below, a symbolic womb-lotus vignette illustrating the teaching.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["ash white","rudraksha brown","lapis blue","crimson","pale gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Śiva and Pārvatī enthroned with ornate crowns and gold-leaf halos, below them a lotus-womb vignette with tightening petals around a small haloed fetus, heavy gold embellishment on jewelry and borders, rich maroon and emerald textiles, traditional South Indian iconography with symmetrical framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tender Kailāsa setting with cool blues and greys, Śiva speaking gently to Pārvatī, a small inset scene of a lotus bud constricting around a fainting fetus, delicate brushwork, refined expressions, lyrical mountain atmosphere.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, Śiva with characteristic large eyes and crescent moon, Pārvatī attentive, inset lotus-womb motif showing constriction, natural pigment palette dominated by reds/yellows/greens with ash-white highlights, temple mural border patterns.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional narrative panel with ornate floral borders, central lotus motif representing birth pain, Śiva-Pārvatī as teaching figures at the top, deep blue background with gold highlights, intricate lotuses and vines conveying both beauty and constriction."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["soft mridangam heartbeat","low temple bell","deep silence after key words"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पंचविंश+अङ्गुलः→पञ्चविंशाङ्गुलः; गर्भः+तेन→गर्भस्तेन (विसर्ग-लोप); संपीड्यमानः+तु→संपीड्यमानस्तु
FAQs
It describes the fetus experiencing intense pain as it grows and is physically constrained in the womb, leading to faintness.
In Padma Purana’s common dialogue framing for such passages, “priye” typically indicates Śiva addressing Pārvatī.
The verse underscores the inherent suffering involved in embodied existence, encouraging dispassion (vairāgya) and spiritual striving beyond bodily identification.