Shloka 3
Teaching of Karma-yoga
Student Conduct, Vedic Study, and Gāyatrī Supremacy
प्रतिश्रवणसंभाषे शयानो न समाचरेत् । आसीनो न च भुंजानो न तिष्ठेन्न पराङ्मुखः
pratiśravaṇasaṃbhāṣe śayāno na samācaret | āsīno na ca bhuṃjāno na tiṣṭhenna parāṅmukhaḥ
وعند الاستماع والمحادثة لا يفعل ذلك وهو مضطجع؛ ولا وهو جالس، ولا وهو يأكل؛ ولا يقف ووجهه مُعرِضٌ عن الجهة المقابلة.
Unspecified (didactic narration within Svargakhaṇḍa)
Concept: Śravaṇa and sambhāṣa require full presence: do not listen while lying down, eating, or turning away—attention is a moral and spiritual duty.
Application: When receiving instruction (spiritual or practical): stop multitasking, face the speaker, avoid casual postures, and create a respectful container for dialogue.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teaching session pauses as the guru’s gaze gently corrects a student who had begun to slump or turn aside; the corrected student straightens, sets aside food, and faces forward with renewed focus. The composition contrasts improper casualness at the edge with the central axis of attentive listening, making discipline visually palpable.","primary_figures":["Guru (ācārya)","Several students (one being corrected)"],"setting":"Open-air classroom under a banyan tree, with mats arranged in a semicircle and manuscripts on low stands","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["banyan green","sunrise gold","clay brown","cream","indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: guru centered with gold leaf aura, students seated on low mats; one student at the margin shown turning away or holding food, gently corrected by the guru’s raised hand; rich reds/greens, gold highlights on the dawn sky and manuscript edges, ornate border with lotus and chakra motifs emphasizing discipline.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: banyan-shaded class with delicate expressions; a narrative moment of correction—one student shifting from inattentive posture to upright facing the guru; cool natural palette with warm dawn wash, fine detailing of leaves, mats, and palm-leaf folios.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized banyan canopy, bold outlines; guru’s eyes prominent, students in clear postural contrasts (lying/turned vs. upright facing); earthy reds and greens with yellow highlights, mural framing bands and rhythmic repetition of seated forms.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: semicircle of students around a central guru, framed by lotus vines and peacocks; symbolic motifs (conch/chakra) in corners to suggest śāstra as divine; deep blue ground with gold and cream figures, intricate floral border."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp hand-clap cue (discipline)","banyan leaves rustle","distant conch from temple","brief silence after injunction"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तिष्ठेन्न = तिष्ठेत् + न (त् + न → न्न).
FAQs
It teaches respectful posture and attentiveness: do not converse while lying down, sitting casually, eating, or while standing with your face turned away.
It emphasizes humility, attentiveness, and respect toward the speaker and the subject—outer posture reflecting inner discipline (sadācāra).
Yes. It frames listening (śravaṇa) as a disciplined act; proper bodily conduct supports mental focus and reverence, which are foundational to dharmic learning.