Shloka 46
Pitṛ-tīrtha Context: Marks of Sin, Śrāddha Discipline, and Karmic Ripening
in Yayāti’s Narrative
गुरुमार्तमशक्तं च विदेशं प्रस्थितं तथा । अरिभिः परिभूतं वा यः संत्यजति पापकृत्
gurumārtamaśaktaṃ ca videśaṃ prasthitaṃ tathā | aribhiḥ paribhūtaṃ vā yaḥ saṃtyajati pāpakṛt
Wer seinen Lehrer verlässt, wenn er bedrängt oder kraftlos ist, wenn er in ein fremdes Land aufbricht, oder wenn er von Feinden gedemütigt wird—ein solcher Mensch begeht Sünde.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Padma Purāṇa Bhūmi-khaṇḍa narrative)
Concept: Abandoning the guru in distress, weakness, travel, or humiliation is a grave sin.
Application: Stand by mentors/teachers in hardship; offer practical help (care, resources, advocacy); do not disappear when relationships become inconvenient.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A weary guru, wounded and travel-worn, sits by a roadside under a banyan tree as hostile figures jeer from a distance. One disciple supports the guru with a shawl and water, while another walks away toward the horizon; the scene captures the moral weight of abandonment, with the guru’s calm dignity contrasted against the disciple’s retreat.","primary_figures":["distressed guru","faithful disciple","abandoning disciple","hostile enemies (symbolic)"],"setting":"Roadside near a forest edge, travel bundle, staff, and water pot; distant town gate suggesting ‘foreign land’","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["indigo night","silver moonlight","dusty ochre","deep crimson","pale turquoise"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic roadside scene with a distressed guru under a banyan tree, faithful disciple offering water and shawl, abandoning disciple receding, enemies in the background, gold leaf used for moon halo and sacred aura around the guru, rich maroons and greens, ornate borders and expressive gestures","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: moonlit travel vignette with delicate brushwork, banyan leaves finely rendered, subdued sorrowful palette, refined figures showing compassion and betrayal, distant architecture indicating a foreign town, lyrical yet tense atmosphere","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized banyan and travel motifs, guru’s face serene with large expressive eyes, contrasting disciple postures, strong narrative clarity, natural pigments with indigo and ochre dominance, temple-wall composition and borders","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic moral tableau framed by lotus borders, central guru figure with subtle Vishnu emblems (chakra motif) above, faithful disciple on one side, abandoning disciple on the other, deep blue cloth ground with gold highlights, intricate floral vines and peacock accents subdued to match the somber theme"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["distant thunder","wind through leaves","soft conch shell","long silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गुरुमार्तमशक्तं = गुरुम् + आर्तम् + अशक्तम्; संत्यजति = सम् + त्यजति (अनुस्वार/संयोग); पापकृत् = पाप + कृत्
FAQs
It emphasizes steadfast loyalty and service to one’s teacher, especially during hardship, vulnerability, travel, or public humiliation.
Forsaking the guru when he is distressed (ārta), helpless (aśakta), departing for a foreign place (videśa), or being humiliated by enemies (aribhiḥ paribhūta).
It frames devotion and responsibility toward the guru as a core dharmic obligation, where abandonment at critical moments is explicitly condemned as pāpa (sin).