Shloka 58
Instruction on All Dharma
in the context of Rāma’s Aśvamedha
स्त्रीं धर्मिणीं नाभिवादेन्नाद्यादातृप्ति रात्रिषु । तौर्यत्रिकप्रियो न स्यात्कांस्ये पादौ न धावयेत्
strīṃ dharmiṇīṃ nābhivādennādyādātṛpti rātriṣu | tauryatrikapriyo na syātkāṃsye pādau na dhāvayet
Man soll einer tugendhaften Frau nicht in der vorgeschriebenen formellen Weise salutieren; und nachts nicht bis zur völligen Sättigung essen. Man soll nicht dem dreifachen Zeitvertreib—Musik, Gesang und Tanz—verfallen und die Füße nicht in einem Bronzegefäß waschen.
Pulastya (in dialogue with Bhīṣma)
Concept: Restraint in social conduct, diet, and entertainment preserves sattva and supports spiritual practice.
Application: Keep evenings light (don’t overeat at night); moderate entertainment; maintain cleanliness in utensils used for personal hygiene; practice respectful boundaries in social interactions.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Pulastya, calm and austere, instructs Bhīṣma in a quiet hermitage hall: palm-leaf manuscripts, a water pot, and a simple meal set aside to show moderation at night. In a side vignette, musicians and dancers appear as distant temptations beyond the hermitage boundary, while a bronze vessel sits near a washing area—untouched—signaling the rule against washing feet in it.","primary_figures":["Pulastya","Bhīṣma"],"setting":"Forest āśrama with thatched pavilion, manuscript stand, simple dining area, and a small washing corner with vessels.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["sage green","ochre","bronze","ivory","deep maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Pulastya seated on a raised seat teaching Bhīṣma, gold leaf on halos and manuscript edges, rich reds and greens, ornate borders, bronze vessel rendered with metallic highlights, devotional austerity with jewel-like detailing on minimal objects.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate guru-śiṣya instruction in a forest pavilion, delicate brushwork on leaves and bark textures, restrained palette, refined expressions, distant tiny figures of musicians outside the āśrama as a subtle narrative contrast.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, Pulastya and Bhīṣma in frontal clarity, warm reds/yellows/greens, stylized forest motifs, patterned floor and vessel forms, didactic tableau like a temple wall panel.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral borders with lotus and creepers, central guru-śiṣya scene, decorative inset panels showing ‘tūryatrika’ (music-dance) as symbolic motifs kept at the periphery, deep blues and gold accents, textile richness with devotional restraint."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"authoritative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["rustling leaves","soft mridanga far away (fading)","water pot drip","evening lamp","quiet forest birds"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नाभिवादेत् = न + अभिवादेत्; नाद्याद् = न + अद्याद्; स्यात्कांस्ये = स्यात् + कांस्ये.
FAQs
It emphasizes sādhācāra (disciplined conduct): moderation in eating, restraint from sensual entertainment, and careful observance of traditional etiquette and purity rules.
Tauryatrika refers to the ‘threefold’ performing arts—typically music (vādya), song (gīta), and dance (nṛtya)—and the verse advises against becoming attached to them as a lifestyle.
It reflects a purity-and-propriety convention in dharma literature: certain vessels and materials are reserved for specific uses, and using them for washing feet is treated as improper.