Shloka 74
Prohibitions and Rules of Right Conduct (Ācāra): Theft, Speech, Purity, Residence, and Social Boundaries
नावगाहेदगाधांबु धावयेन्नाऽनिमित्ततः । न वामहस्तेनोद्धृत्य पिबेद्वक्त्रेण वा जलम्
nāvagāhedagādhāṃbu dhāvayennā'nimittataḥ | na vāmahastenoddhṛtya pibedvaktreṇa vā jalam
لا ينبغي أن يدخل المرء ماءً شديد العمق، ولا أن يغتسل من غير سببٍ معتبر. ولا يشرب الماء مغترفًا باليد اليسرى، ولا يشربه مباشرةً بفمه من الماء.
Not explicitly stated in the provided excerpt (context likely a prescriptive/dharmic instruction within the Svarga-khaṇḍa narrative frame).
Concept: Ritual acts (snāna, pāna) require niyama: safety, intention, and right-handed purity conventions preserve both life and sanctity.
Application: Avoid reckless bathing; bathe with purpose (śauca, sandhyā, tīrtha); drink water with proper method (right hand/ācāmana etiquette), especially in sacred places.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On a calm riverbank, pilgrims stand at a safe shallow ghat, performing measured snāna with cupped right hands, while the deeper midstream is marked by swirling currents. A teacher-figure gestures gently, instructing restraint—no reckless plunging, no casual bathing, only purposeful purification.","primary_figures":["pilgrims/bathers","a dharma-instructor (ṛṣi-like figure)"],"setting":"stone ghat with steps, brass water pots, banyan shade, distant temple spire","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["river jade","sunrise gold","stone gray","saffron cloth","white foam"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: river ghat at dawn with gold leaf highlights on the sun and temple spire; pilgrims in saffron and white perform snāna using the right hand; a sage instructs with calm authority; ornate borders, rich reds/greens, shimmering water rendered with stylized patterns.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate riverside scene with cool blues and jade water; gentle dawn gradient; refined figures bathing at shallow steps while deeper water shows subtle whirl patterns; lyrical trees and distant shrine, emphasizing restraint and grace.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized ghat and flowing river with bold outlines; figures shown in clear ritual gestures (right-hand water sipping); warm yellows and reds for dawn, green foliage, temple motif in background.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral border with lotus motifs; riverbank with devotees performing ācamana; peacocks near the steps; deep blue water with gold accents; devotional discipline as the theme rather than spectacle."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing water","morning birds","distant temple bell","soft conch","footsteps on stone steps"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nāvagāhedagādhāṃbu = na + avagāhet + agādha-ambu; dhāvayennā'nimittataḥ = dhāvayet + na + animittataḥ; vāmahastenoddhṛtya = vāma-hastena + uddhṛtya; pibedvaktreṇa = pibet + vaktreṇa.
FAQs
It regulates everyday ācāra (proper conduct), especially safety and propriety in bathing and the etiquette of drinking water.
It frames bathing as an act to be done with intention—such as cleanliness, ritual context, or necessity—rather than as careless or improper behavior.
It emphasizes mindful discipline: act with purpose, avoid needless risk (like entering deep water), and follow respectful norms of cleanliness and bodily conduct.