Only the Fortunate Will Survive the Sight
Bala Kanda, Chhand 9
Doha 95 · Movement 2 of 3
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The children pour out details between frightened breaths: bodies smeared with cremation ash, serpents and skulls worn as ornaments, naked figures with tangled hair and terrible faces.
Bhutas, disembodied wanderers, pisachas, fierce yoginis, and creatures of the night crowd behind the bull. To youthful eyes, the sacred procession is indistinguishable from a nightmare released into daylight.
Anyone who survives the sight, they declare, must possess enormous merit. Only such a person will remain alive long enough to witness Uma's wedding. The warning races from house to house faster than the procession itself.
Across Himavan's city, children spread the news that survival itself is the wedding invitation.
Read the passage from the Manas
AI-created devotional illustration · Chhand 9
One representative unnamed child reporting fearfully to parents outside the chosen close portrait; frightening groom and retinue not shown.
Source reference and artistic choices
Gita Press code81 undated · PDF pages 111 · printed pages 109. Reader passage: bala-kanda-chhand-009. Printed numbering may differ.
Source facts
- The children describe the singular groom Shiva as ash-covered, ornamented with serpents and skulls, naked, matted-haired and frightening; these are reported descriptions, not all attendants' bodies.
- They say ghosts, spirits, pishachas, yoginis and fierce-faced night-wanderers accompany him.
- They say whoever remains alive after seeing this wedding procession has great merit and will see Uma's wedding.
- Children speak thus in house after house; their frightened statements are quoted speech rather than actual deaths or a narrator-certified lethal procession.
Artistic choices
- One fully clothed unnamed boy represents source plural children, with parents and wedding procession outside crop. Exact age, facial appearance, clothing, gesture and home architecture are imaginative; no death, named child identity or exclusive census inferred.
- Complete source facts retained in metadata; source and existing translations unchanged.
- Actual kurta has fine gold flower pattern and gold/cream trim, hand slightly farther forward than requested; doorway columns, garden terrace, plants, gesture and age are artistic.
An imaginative interpretation, not a historical portrait or documentary evidence.
तन छार ब्याल कपाल भूषन नगन जटिल भयंकरा। सँग भूत प्रेत पिसाच जोगिनि बिकट मुख रजनीचरा।। जो जिअत रहिहि बरात देखत पुन्य बड़ तेहि कर सही। देखिहि सो उमा बिबाहु घर घर बात असि लरिकन्ह कही।।
Bodies smeared with ash, serpents and skulls for ornaments, naked, matted-haired, terrifying. With them march bhoots, prets, pisaachas, yoginis, and night-wanderers with hideous faces.