Shloka 20
The Sin of Breaking Households: Citrā’s Past Karma and the Remedy of Hari’s Name and Meditation
यथा गृहशतं भग्नं तथा वरशतं मृतम् । स्वयंवरे तदा वत्स विवाहे चैकविंशतिः
yathā gṛhaśataṃ bhagnaṃ tathā varaśataṃ mṛtam | svayaṃvare tadā vatsa vivāhe caikaviṃśatiḥ
Như một trăm mái nhà đã bị đập tan, thì cũng vậy, một trăm người cầu hôn đã bị giết. Khi ấy trong lễ svayaṃvara, hỡi con yêu, và cả trong hôn lễ nữa—đã có hai mươi mốt (cái chết).
Unspecified (narratorial voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa dialogue context; commonly framed as Pulastya speaking to Bhīṣma in this khanda)
Concept: Karma mirrors the scale of harm: as many homes were ruined, so many lives (suitors) are lost; specific numbers dramatize proportional retribution.
Application: Do not rationalize ‘small’ wrongdoing when it affects many; cultivate restitution and community-protecting dharma; adopt regular purificatory practices (japa, dāna, Ekādaśī) to reverse harmful tendencies.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A grand svayaṃvara hall crowded with garlanded princes suddenly turns into a scene of catastrophe: fallen suitors lie amid scattered flowers, while the bride’s platform stands like a silent witness. Above, an invisible karmic thread connects the earlier image of ‘hundred broken houses’ to ‘hundred dead suitors,’ making the tragedy feel like a grim reflection.","primary_figures":["Citrā (as central karmic agent)","suitors/princes","royal attendants","priests","symbolic karmic thread or scale"],"setting":"Royal assembly hall with pillars, banners, flower heaps, and a raised dais for the svayaṃvara; later, a wedding mandapa vignette indicating ‘twenty-one’ deaths at the wedding.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance turned ominous","color_palette":["royal purple","lotus pink","antique gold","blood crimson","smoke black"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: opulent svayaṃvara sabhā with gold leaf pillars and jeweled crowns; a dramatic contrast between festive garlands and the stillness of fallen suitors; Citrā on the dais with a complex expression; gold leaf used to heighten both splendor and the cruel irony of karmic reversal.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: multi-scene narrative—left panel shows intact festive hall, right panel shows aftermath with delicate yet poignant faces; cool architectural perspective, refined costumes, and subtle blood-red accents; a thin painted line (karmic thread) links the two panels.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: symmetrical sabhā composition with bold outlines, repeated prince figures, stylized fall poses; Citrā centered, large-eyed; strong reds/yellows/greens with black-blue shading to signal calamity; a circular karmic emblem above the dais.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ceremonial hall rendered as a patterned tapestry; princes arranged like motifs, many inverted to signify death; ornate border of garlands turning into thorn-vines; deep blue ground with gold and pink highlights, narrative medallion noting ‘21’ at the wedding."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["crowd murmur cut to silence","metallic clang","distant conch","falling flower rustle","low drum"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चैकविंशतिः = च एकविंशतिः.
FAQs
It uses a stark comparison to emphasize the scale of destruction—linking the ruin of many homes with the death of many suitors—and notes a specific count of twenty-one deaths associated with the svayaṃvara and the wedding.
It denotes a specific number connected with the events described—twenty-one (deaths) occurring in relation to the svayaṃvara and the marriage ceremony.
It is primarily narrative, reporting consequences and quantities in a story context, while implicitly underscoring themes of conflict and the heavy fallout of worldly events.