Shloka 5
Teaching on Karma-yoga
Discipline of Action as Worship
व्यास उवाच । शृणुध्वंमृषयः सर्वे वक्ष्यमाणं सनातनम् । कर्मयोगं ब्राह्मणानामात्यंतिकफलप्रदम्
vyāsa uvāca | śṛṇudhvaṃmṛṣayaḥ sarve vakṣyamāṇaṃ sanātanam | karmayogaṃ brāhmaṇānāmātyaṃtikaphalapradam
Vyāsa sprach: „Hört, ihr alle ṛṣi, die ewige Lehre, die ich nun verkünde — den Karma‑Yoga der Brāhmaṇas, der die höchste Frucht verleiht.“
Vyāsa
Concept: Karma-yoga, especially for brāhmaṇas, yields ‘ātyantika-phala’—the ultimate end—when aligned with sacred duty and inner purity.
Application: Perform one’s role with steadiness: study/teach, serve, give, and worship without ego; treat daily work as an offering that refines the heart.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Vyāsa raises his hand in teaching gesture, the sages leaning forward as if the very word ‘sanātana’ steadies the air. Behind him, a subtle vision of Viṣṇu as Yajña-puruṣa appears in the smoke of the fire, suggesting that right action culminates in the highest fruit.","primary_figures":["Vyāsa","assembled sages","subtle visionary presence of Viṣṇu (Yajña-puruṣa)"],"setting":"Forest āśrama with yajña-śālā: fire altar, ladles, water pot, and palm-leaf texts; distant river hinted but unnamed.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lamp gold","sage green","smoke blue","ivory white","maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Vyāsa seated with commanding serenity, sages in attentive semicircle; gold leaf halo around Vyāsa and a faint gold-leaf apparition of Viṣṇu in the fire-smoke; rich reds/greens, ornate jewelry minimal but sacred implements detailed, traditional iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate teaching scene under a tree with delicate linework; Vyāsa’s calm face, sages with refined expressions; cool palette with warm lamp highlights, a barely-there Viṣṇu silhouette in the smoke rendered with translucent washes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, Vyāsa central, sages flanking; stylized fire with curling smoke forming a faint Viṣṇu motif; strong red/yellow/green pigments, temple-wall compositional balance.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a devotional discourse framed by lotus borders; the fire altar central like a mandala, with a subtle śaṅkha-cakra pattern emerging in the smoke; deep blue background, gold accents, intricate floral detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft tanpura drone","gentle bell at cadence","crackling fire","quiet breath pauses"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शृणुध्वंमृषयः = शृणुध्वम् + ऋषयः; ब्राह्मणानामात्यंतिकफलप्रदम् = ब्राह्मणानाम् + आत्यन्तिकफलप्रदम्
FAQs
The speaker is Vyāsa, addressing a gathering of ṛṣis (sages).
Vyāsa introduces an eternal instruction on karma-yoga—disciplined action aligned with dharma—specifically framed as the path for brāhmaṇas and said to grant the ultimate result.
It implies that right action performed as a spiritual discipline (karma-yoga), rooted in timeless dharma, leads beyond ordinary rewards toward the highest spiritual outcome.