Shloka 47
Prohibitions and Rules of Right Conduct (Ācāra): Theft, Speech, Purity, Residence, and Social Boundaries
न पश्येत्प्रेतसंस्पर्शं न क्रुद्धस्य गुरोर्मुखम् । न तैलोदकयोश्छायां न पंक्तिं भोजने सति
na paśyetpretasaṃsparśaṃ na kruddhasya gurormukham | na tailodakayośchāyāṃ na paṃktiṃ bhojane sati
لا ينبغي أن يُنظر إلى ملامسة جثة، ولا إلى وجه المعلّم إذا كان غضبان. ولا يُنظر إلى انعكاس المرء في الزيت أو في الماء، ولا إلى صفّ الآكلين أثناء جريان الطعام.
Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher voice within Svargakhaṇḍa etiquette instruction)
Concept: Auspicious vision is curated: avoid sights that disturb prāṇa and sattva (death-contact, guru’s wrath, distorted reflections, distracting communal eating scenes).
Application: Do not seek out disturbing scenes; step away from conflict with teachers/mentors until calm returns; avoid idle staring at others during meals; reduce self-obsession (reflections) that feeds vanity or distraction.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A quiet cremation-ground edge is shown at a distance, with a warning boundary of kusa grass—no voyeuristic focus, only a sober sign of avoidance. In contrast, a gurukula courtyard shows a teacher with a stern, clouded expression while a student respectfully lowers his eyes; nearby, a communal dining row is depicted from behind, emphasizing ‘do not stare’ etiquette.","primary_figures":["student","guru/ācārya","community diners (background silhouettes)"],"setting":"ashram courtyard transitioning to a distant cremation-ground boundary; dining area with leaf plates","lighting_mood":"muted afternoon with solemn shadows","color_palette":["ash gray","saffron ochre","leaf green","smoke brown","soft gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: split-scene panel—left a distant antyeshti boundary with symbolic smoke and ash tones; right a gurukula courtyard with an angry guru and a student averting gaze; gold-leaf used sparingly for sacred objects (kusa, vessels), rich red-green borders, traditional iconographic restraint avoiding graphic depiction.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: narrative vignette with gentle naturalism; the student’s downcast eyes and folded hands convey humility; dining row shown as rhythmic silhouettes with leaf plates; distant cremation-ground suggested by pale smoke and gray earth, delicate brushwork and subdued palette.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; expressive guru face with controlled wrath; student in profile with lowered gaze; patterned dining row; distant cremation motif as symbolic flames and smoke, natural pigments with strong saffron and earthy browns.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: decorative border of lotus and vines framing moral panels; central motif of guru and disciple with emphasis on maryada; dining row as repeating ornamental pattern; cremation-ground only as symbolic ash-and-flame medallion, deep blues and gold accents with restrained narrative symbolism."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple drum (mridanga) soft","wind through trees","distant conch","hushed crowd murmur at dining"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: paśyetpretasaṃsparśam = paśyet + preta-saṃsparśam; gurormukham = guroḥ + mukham; tailodakayośchāyām = taila-udakayoḥ + chāyām.
FAQs
It lays down rules of personal conduct (ācāra): avoid inauspicious or purity-violating sights (corpse-related impurity), avoid confronting an angry guru, and avoid certain socially improper or distracting acts during meals.
In Dharmaśāstra-style purity frameworks, corpse-related contact is ritually impure and psychologically inauspicious; the instruction emphasizes restraint and maintaining śauca (cleanliness/purity).
It underscores reverence and discretion: when a teacher is angry, one should not provocatively face them but instead act with humility and seek to restore harmony.