Shloka 24
Glorification of Vārāṇasī: Kapardīśvara Liṅga and the Piśācamocana Tīrtha
पिपासयाधुनाक्रांतो न जानामि हिताहितम् । यदि कंचित्समुद्धर्तुमुपायं पश्यसि प्रभो
pipāsayādhunākrāṃto na jānāmi hitāhitam | yadi kaṃcitsamuddhartumupāyaṃ paśyasi prabho
Nay ta bị cơn khát bủa vây, chẳng còn phân biệt được điều lợi hay hại. Ôi Prabhu, nếu Ngài thấy phương cách nào để cứu vớt ta, xin từ bi chỉ dạy.
Unspecified (a supplicant addressing a lord/master)
Concept: In states of suffering and delusion, one should seek guidance and surrender rather than act blindly; discernment (hita–ahita) returns through right counsel and grace.
Application: When overwhelmed—by craving, anxiety, or addiction—pause and ask for a clear ‘upāya’: consult a teacher, scripture, or a trusted guide; replace impulsive choices with a deliberate remedy.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A parched, tormented being—gaunt and shadowed—kneels with cracked lips, hands raised in supplication toward a compassionate lordly figure. The air shimmers like heat-haze, suggesting both literal thirst and the burning of craving, while a faint promise of water or sacred remedy glows in the distance.","primary_figures":["the thirsty supplicant (preta/pīśāca-like figure)","a compassionate lord/master figure (protector/teacher)"],"setting":"Desolate liminal ground near a cremation-forest edge or barren path, with a distant hint of a river or water-pot as symbol of relief","lighting_mood":"twilight with a single hopeful beam","color_palette":["parched ochre","dusty brown","ashen gray","pale turquoise","warm gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: supplicant in humble posture before a radiant protector, gold leaf beam descending like grace, symbolic water-pot (kalaśa) at the side; rich maroons and greens in the border, ornate halo, devotional clarity despite the grim theme.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate depiction of suffering without grotesquery—thin figure pleading, soft landscape with sparse trees, a distant glint of water; cool-turquoise accent against earthy tones, refined expressions conveying karuṇā.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and stylized anatomy—supplicant with exaggerated thirst gesture, protector with calm eyes; warm yellow-red background with green accents, ornamental cloud bands and flame motifs indicating inner burning.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical thirst—central figure pleading within a circular floral frame, border of small lotuses and water-wave motifs; deep indigo ground with gold highlights, the ‘upāya’ symbolized by a shining lotus-kalaśa."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["dry wind","distant jackal call","soft bell (far)","water drip (symbolic)","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पिपासयाधुनाक्रांतो = पिपासया + अधुना + आक्रान्तः; कंचित्समुद्धर्तुमुपायं = कंचित् + समुद्धर्तुम् + उपायम्.
FAQs
It portrays a distressed person overwhelmed by thirst and confusion, humbly asking a higher authority for a practical means of rescue.
It means the capacity to judge what is beneficial versus harmful; the verse says intense suffering can cloud ethical and practical discernment.
It highlights the dharmic posture of seeking guidance from a competent, higher source when one’s judgment is impaired by hardship.