Shloka 25
Teaching on Karma-yoga
Discipline of Action as Worship
यो न वेत्त्यभिवादस्य विप्रः प्रत्यभिवादनम् । नाभिवाद्यः स विदुषा यथा शूद्रस्तथैव सः
yo na vettyabhivādasya vipraḥ pratyabhivādanam | nābhivādyaḥ sa viduṣā yathā śūdrastathaiva saḥ
Ein Brāhmaṇa, der die rechte Erwiderung auf einen ehrerbietigen Gruß nicht kennt, soll vom Gelehrten nicht gegrüßt werden; man halte ihn für nicht anders als einen Śūdra.
Unspecified (narrative voice not provided in the excerpt)
Concept: Ritual knowledge and proper conduct define eligibility for honor; ignorance of prescribed return-greeting negates one’s claim to brāhmaṇa status in social-ritual terms.
Application: Learn the etiquette of your tradition; do not demand honor without competence; cultivate humility—status is validated by conduct.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned elder turns away with stern composure as an untrained brāhmaṇa fails to respond correctly to a salutation. The scene is tense but instructive—honor is shown as something earned through discipline, not merely claimed by name.","primary_figures":["learned paṇḍita","untrained brāhmaṇa","onlooking students"],"setting":"assembly hall of an āśrama or village sabhā with low seats, manuscripts, and a visible threshold line suggesting social boundary","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["iron gray","dusty ochre","dark umber","muted saffron","pale parchment"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a sabhā scene with the paṇḍita in dignified posture, gold leaf used sparingly to highlight dharma’s authority; the untrained figure slightly recessed, expressions clear and didactic, ornate border with moral emblems (scales, scripture).","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: restrained drama—subtle facial expressions, a quiet but sharp gesture of refusal; cool earthy palette, fine architectural lines, a few students whispering, emphasizing social instruction over spectacle.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and strong contrast; the elder’s stern gaze and hand gesture dominate; red-yellow-green pigments convey admonition, with stylized manuscript motifs along the frame.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: moral tableau framed by floral borders; symbolic motifs (closed gate, scripture) woven into the border; deep blue and ochre contrast to show the gravity of dharma and the cost of ignorance."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp staff tap on ground","hushed murmurs","rustle of robes","brief heavy silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वेत्यभिवादस्य = वेत्ति + अभिवादस्य; विप्रोऽ = विप्रः +; नाभिवाद्यः = न + अभिवाद्यः; तथैव = तथा + एव.
FAQs
It teaches that social and religious status is tied to proper knowledge and practice of dharmic conduct—here, the correct etiquette of salutation and returning a greeting.
It refers to the proper reciprocal response to a respectful salutation—returning the greeting in the appropriate traditional form.
The verse emphasizes that learning must be reflected in behavior; lacking basic dharmic manners undermines one’s claim to being truly learned.