Shloka 86
The Tārakāmaya War: Divine Mustering, Māyā Countermeasures, Aurva Fire, and Viṣṇu’s Slaying of Kālanemi
ब्रह्मचर्ये स्थितो धर्मो ब्रह्मचर्ये स्थितं तपः । ये स्थिता ब्रह्मचर्ये तु ब्राह्मणा दिवि ते स्थिताः
brahmacarye sthito dharmo brahmacarye sthitaṃ tapaḥ | ye sthitā brahmacarye tu brāhmaṇā divi te sthitāḥ
إنّ الدَّرما قائمٌ في البراهماتشاريا (العفّة المنضبطة)، وكذلك التَّقشّف (التَّبَس) ثابتٌ فيها. والبرهمنة الذين يثبتون في البراهماتشاريا يثبتون هم أنفسهم في السماء.
Unspecified (narrative voice/teaching verse within the chapter context)
Concept: Brahmacarya is the foundation that stabilizes both dharma and tapas, leading to higher states of being.
Application: Treat restraint of speech, diet, and sensual impulses as daily tapas; keep a simple routine (sleep, study, japa) that protects vows from leakage.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene brāhmaṇa ascetic sits in padmāsana beneath a flowering aśvattha, a faint halo of tapas rising like heat-haze. Above him, a translucent vision of Svarga appears—celestial gardens and vimānas—suggesting that disciplined purity becomes a ladder to higher realms.","primary_figures":["brāhmaṇa brahmacārī (ascetic student/renunciant)","celestial attendants (gandharvas/apsarās as distant silhouettes)"],"setting":"Forest hermitage edge with a small yajña-kuṇḍa, palm-leaf manuscripts, and a water pot; Svarga hinted in the sky as a visionary overlay.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["saffron ochre","lotus pink","pale sky-blue","leaf green","gold leaf"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a calm brahmacārī with sacred thread and kamaṇḍalu seated under an aśvattha, subtle Svarga vision above with vimānas; heavy gold leaf halo, rich vermilion background accents, emerald greens, ornate borders, gem-studded ornaments on celestial figures, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a youthful brahmacārī in a quiet forest āśrama, delicate linework, cool greens and blues, distant Svarga as a pale cloud-palace; refined faces, lyrical trees, soft gradients, minimal gold, Himalayan landscape sensibility.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines of the ascetic with large expressive eyes, stylized aśvattha leaves, a small homa fire; warm red-yellow-green palette, flat temple-wall composition, Svarga shown as a patterned celestial band above.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central ascetic seated on a lotus-like mat, surrounded by stylized tulasi and lotus motifs as symbols of purity; ornate floral borders, deep indigo ground with gold highlights, celestial garden motifs above, intricate patterning reminiscent of Nathdwara textiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["silence","soft temple bells","distant conch shell","morning birds"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विशेष-सन्धिः न्यूनः; पदच्छेदः यथोक्तः।
FAQs
It teaches that brahmacarya is the foundation for both dharma (righteous living) and tapas (austerity), and that steadfast observance yields heavenly merit.
The verse explicitly mentions brāhmaṇas as exemplars, reflecting a traditional social-religious framing; the underlying principle presented is that disciplined self-restraint strengthens dharma and austerity.
Self-control—especially sexual restraint and disciplined conduct—is portrayed as a key ethical support for righteous life and spiritual practice, leading to elevated spiritual outcomes.