The King and Queen Walk Toward Naimisha
Bala Kanda, Chaupai 143
Doha 143 · Movement 1 of 2
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Manu places the kingdom firmly in his son's hands and leaves for the forest with Shatarupa. Royal corridors, guarded gates, and the accumulated splendour of ages fall behind them. Along the road, the couple appear so composed that knowledge and devotion themselves seem to have accepted human bodies and begun walking side by side.
Their path reaches sacred Naimisha, where assemblies of sages and perfected beings dwell. Joy rises as they come to the Gomati and bathe in its pure current. Siddhas and wise seers recognize the former king as a pillar of dharma and come forward to receive him.
The sages guide them through the holy places with respect. Manu exchanges royal cloth for the garments of an ascetic, and his body grows lean. Each day he sits among saints and listens to the Puranas, allowing sacred memory to fill the life once occupied by rule.
Knowledge and devotion walk together into Naimisha and sit at the feet of the sages.
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AI-created devotional illustration · Chaupai 143
Manu and Shatarupa walk joyfully and steadfastly toward Naimish forest, compared to embodied knowledge and devotion
Source reference and artistic choices
Gita Press code81 undated · PDF pages 153 · printed pages 151. Reader passage: bala-kanda-chaupai-143. Printed numbering may differ.
Source facts
- Manu FORCEFULLY hands kingdom toSON thenWITHWIFE goesforest; Naimish namedholypilgrimage sages/siddhas.
- Selected joyfulsteadyminded journey; knowledge/devotion ASIF embodied comparison, not literaldeities.
- Later Gomati clearwater joybath, sagesmeet/showholyplaces, leanbodies sagegarments dailyPurana listen remainfacts unpictured.
Artistic choices
- Approved NEWimagined Manu/Shatarupa faces greyhair/beard/age retained C142, simplecreamteal/rusttravelerrobes reducedjewels/crownomitted andsandals conventionalartistclothing, notassertedexactchronology oflaterexplicitpart8sagegarments.
- Separatedwalkingfigures eachownclothhand/relaxedsidehand, forestpath rustsky creamgreen botanicalfields imaginarysetting; no authenticatedNaimishmap/wheelrim etymology.
An imaginative interpretation, not a historical portrait or documentary evidence.
बरबस राज सुतहि तब दीन्हा। नारि समेत गवन बन कीन्हा।। तीरथ बर नैमिष बिख्याता। अति पुनीत साधक सिधि दाता।। बसहिं तहाँ मुनि सिद्ध समाजा। तहँ हियँ हरषि चलेउ मनु राजा।। पंथ जात सोहहिं मतिधीरा। ग्यान भगति जनु धरें सरीरा।। पहुँचे जाइ धेनुमति तीरा। हरषि नहाने निरमल नीरा।। आए मिलन सिद्ध मुनि ग्यानी। धरम धुरंधर नृपरिषि जानी।। जहँ जँह तीरथ रहे सुहाए। मुनिन्ह सकल सादर करवाए।। कृस सरीर मुनिपट परिधाना। सत समाज नित सुनहिं पुराना ।
By sheer resolve they handed the kingdom to their son and, husband and wife together, departed for the forest. They came to the renowned tirtha of Naimisharanya, supremely sacred, the place that grants fulfillment to all seekers.