Shloka 66
Teaching on Karma-yoga
Discipline of Action as Worship
अपुण्यं लोकविद्विष्टं तस्मात्तत्परिवर्जयेत् । प्राङ्मुखोऽन्नानि भुंजीत सूर्याभिमुखमेव वा
apuṇyaṃ lokavidviṣṭaṃ tasmāttatparivarjayet | prāṅmukho'nnāni bhuṃjīta sūryābhimukhameva vā
Was unrein ist und von der Welt getadelt wird, ist ohne Verdienst; darum soll man es meiden. Man esse, nach Osten gewandt, oder auch der Sonne zugewandt.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Svargakhaṇḍa narrative)
Concept: Avoid impure and socially condemned food; eat facing east or facing the Sun to align with auspicious order.
Application: Choose ethically clean, socially responsible food; avoid what harms body/community; create a simple mealtime ritual—sit calmly, face east if possible, and eat with awareness.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The vratī sits for his meal on a clean mat, body oriented toward the rising Sun; a beam of light falls across the leaf-plate like a blessing. To one side, a faint, shadowed depiction of ‘impure/condemned’ offerings is turned away, emphasizing avoidance and the choice of purity aligned with cosmic order.","primary_figures":["vratī ascetic","Sūrya (as radiant disc or subtle deity presence)"],"setting":"open courtyard with clear eastern horizon; minimal utensils, clean water pot nearby","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sun gold","vermillion","clean white","terracotta","sky cyan"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: ascetic seated facing the radiant Sun, gold leaf used lavishly for solar rays and auspicious aura; rich red-green borders, traditional iconographic Sun-disc, clean ritual objects (kamaṇḍalu, leaf-plate) rendered with ornate clarity while keeping the ascetic’s simplicity central.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: dawn courtyard with the ascetic facing east, delicate gradients in the sky, soft solar glow; refined facial features and gentle posture, minimal objects, lyrical naturalism highlighting purity and directionality.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and natural pigments depict the ascetic in prāṅmukha posture, stylized Sun with concentric radiance, temple-wall symmetry; dominant yellows/reds/greens with clean white highlights for śauca.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: sunrise-centered composition with ornate lotus borders; the ascetic faces a golden Sun motif, deep blue-to-cyan sky, intricate floral patterns; symbolic ‘impure food’ shown as muted forms outside the central sanctified circle, emphasizing avoidance and auspicious alignment."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["morning conch shell","temple bells","sunrise birds","soft water pour","brief silence after injunctions"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तस्मात् + तत् → तस्मात्तत्; तत् + परिवर्जयेत् → तत्परिवर्जयेत्; प्राक् + मुखः → प्राङ्मुखः (क्→ङ् before म); मुखः + अन्नानि → मुखोऽन्नानि (ः + अ → ’); सूर्याभिमुखम् = सूर्य + अभिमुखम्
FAQs
It links dharmic merit (puṇya) with conduct recognized as ethically acceptable; actions widely condemned are treated as spiritually unwholesome and thus to be avoided.
The verse recommends eating while facing east (prāṅmukha) or, alternatively, facing the Sun (sūryābhimukha), reflecting traditional āhāra-ācāra (food-conduct) discipline.
It emphasizes discernment and self-restraint: avoid demeritorious, socially reproached behavior and cultivate mindful, disciplined habits even in daily acts like eating.