Shloka 36
The Tale of the Five Pretas and the Glory of Puṣkara & the Eastern Sarasvatī
गुरवो नैव पूज्यंते स्त्रीजितानि गृहाणि च । क्रोधलोभगृहीतानि प्रेता भुंजंति तत्र वै
guravo naiva pūjyaṃte strījitāni gṛhāṇi ca | krodhalobhagṛhītāni pretā bhuṃjaṃti tatra vai
In jenen Haushalten, in denen Lehrer nicht geehrt werden, wo das Heim von sinnlicher Bindung an Frauen beherrscht wird und wo Zorn und Gier herrschen – dort speisen wahrlich die Pretas.
Unspecified (narrative instruction within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa; speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Concept: Disrespect to gurus/elders, domination by sensual obsession, and captivity to anger and greed degrade the home; such a space becomes hospitable to preta influences.
Application: Honor teachers/parents/mentors; cultivate household sāttvika routines (cleanliness, prayer, shared meals); practice anger management and generosity; reduce objectifying attachment and replace it with mutual dharmic respect.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a grand but spiritually barren house, a seated guru is ignored at the doorway while the household’s attention is consumed by indulgence and quarrel. Red-tinged shadows of anger and greed coil like serpents around the hearth, and pretas linger near the ceiling beams, feeding on the discord.","primary_figures":["ignored guru/ācārya","arguing householders","pretas (restless spirits)"],"setting":"interior of a wealthy household with a neglected seat of honor and a disturbed hearth","lighting_mood":"storm-lit interior","color_palette":["blood red","dark umber","brass gold","slate gray","sickly green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: opulent household interior with ornate pillars; a guru figure at the side left unhonored, while central figures embody krodha and lobha; pretas as shadow forms above; heavy gold leaf on architecture and jewelry to critique hollow wealth; rich reds/greens, dramatic expressions, traditional iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate interior scene with refined faces—guru seated quietly, householders in tense gestures; pretas suggested as pale wisps near rafters; cool-gray storm light through a window, delicate textile patterns, restrained palette with sharp red accents for anger.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines showing guru-avajñā and krodha-lobha as personified forces; pretas stylized in upper register; strong red/yellow/green pigments, temple-wall narrative bands, emphatic eyes and hand gestures.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: moral allegory framed by floral borders—central household scene with discord; use symbolic motifs (wilted garland, broken lamp) and shadowy pretas at corners; deep indigo ground with gold border work, intricate patterns, didactic composition."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["thunder rumble","sharp bell strikes","raised voices fading","wind through eaves"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नैव = न + एव; पूज्यंते (spelling variant) normalized as पूज्यन्ते; क्रोधलोभगृहीतानि = क्रोध + लोभ + गृहीतानि.
FAQs
It frames a healthy household as one that honors gurus/elders and is not ruled by anger, greed, or degrading sensual domination; otherwise the home becomes spiritually “inhospitable,” symbolized by pretas feeding there.
No. This verse is ethical and domestic in focus, describing moral/spiritual conditions of a household rather than locations or sacred geography.
The imagery warns that disrespect to teachers and domination by anger and greed create a spiritually fallen environment; the “preta” metaphor signals decay, unrest, and the loss of auspiciousness in daily life.