The Physician Refuses the Harmful Desire
Bala Kanda, Chaupai 133
Doha 133 · Movement 1 of 2
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Hari compares Narada to a patient tormented by illness who insists upon food that will worsen the disease. A wise physician does not grant such a request. The Lord says he has acted only for the sage's welfare and then disappears, leaving the promise suspended between Narada's expectation and the deeper cure.
Bound by Maya, Narada cannot enter the profound meaning. He hurries to the prepared swayamvara ground, where kings sit upon appointed seats amid elaborate retinues. Convinced that Hari has made him supremely beautiful, the sage imagines the princess will pass every rival and choose him.
For Narada's good, the treasury of compassion has given him an indescribably ugly appearance. No one recognizes the hidden play. The sage bows graciously around the assembly, carrying complete confidence in a face he has not yet seen.
Narada enters the royal assembly wearing the medicine he mistakes for beauty.
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AI-created devotional illustration · Chaupai 133
Explicit physician/patient simile: doctor withholds harmful requestedfood, not medicine/allcare
Source reference and artistic choices
Gita Press code81 undated · PDF pages 145 · printed pages 143. Reader passage: bala-kanda-chaupai-133. Printed numbering may differ.
Source facts
- Lord compareswelfarechoice tophysician notgiving harmfulfoodwhenillpatientrequests it; independentpart1 simile only
- Lord thensays arrangedwelfare andDISAPPEARS afterspokenstatement, notfromwithin/withoutaword
- Narada underMayadoesnotunderstandhiddenwords, joyfullyconfident goesimmediatelyswayamvara notangry; princesseverynevermistakenlychooseanother object/subject correct
- Lord unattractiveappearanceforwelfare context no specificsmonkeybodydepicted; everyonerecognizingNarada bowsTO HIM, notNaradabowingtoall; laterpartsoutsideimage
Artistic choices
- EXPLICIT SIMILE PANEL withtwo NEWUNNAMED adultIndianroles, notactualHari/Narada medicalevent: maturebrownphysician greyinghair/shortgreybeard creamturban/robe greenwrap; middleagedbrownpatient shortdarkwavyhair darkmoustache creamrustlooserobes; exactfacesagesdress imaginednotauthenticated
- Physician holdscoveredplainfoodbowl closeownchest othergentleopenstop-palm, patientseated askswithopenpalm otherrestsownknee; contentsunspecified/no dietprescription, withholdingfoodnotmedicine/allcare, exactgestures/vessel artistchoices
- Creambench/roomcolumns floralglassarch/gardenpavilion imaginative setting unauthenticated; no actualdiagnosis/injuries/treatment or deities, no genericwickedpatient interpretation
An imaginative interpretation, not a historical portrait or documentary evidence.
कुपथ माग रुज ब्याकुल रोगी। बैद न देइ सुनहु मुनि जोगी।। एहि बिधि हित तुम्हार मैं ठयऊ। कहि अस अंतरहित प्रभु भयऊ।। माया बिबस भए मुनि मूढ़ा। समुझी नहिं हरि गिरा निगूढ़ा।। गवने तुरत तहाँ रिषिराई। जहाँ स्वयंबर भूमि बनाई।। निज निज आसन बैठे राजा। बहु बनाव करि सहित समाजा।। मुनि मन हरष रूप अति मोरें। मोहि तजि आनहि बारिहि न भोरें।। मुनि हित कारन कृपानिधाना। दीन्ह कुरूप न जाइ बखाना।। सो चरित्र लखि काहुँ न पावा। नारद जानि सबहिं सिर नावा।।
"A patient tormented by disease craves harmful food; the wise physician does not give it. Listen, O muni, O yogi. In this way I have ensured your welfare." Saying this, He vanished.