Shloka 5
Teaching of Karma-yoga
Student Conduct, Vedic Study, and Gāyatrī Supremacy
नोदाहरेदस्य नाम परोक्षमपि केवलम् । न चैवास्यानुकुर्वीत गतिभाषणचेष्टितम्
nodāharedasya nāma parokṣamapi kevalam | na caivāsyānukurvīta gatibhāṣaṇaceṣṭitam
Man soll seinen Namen nicht aussprechen — selbst nicht indirekt, selbst nicht beiläufig; und man soll weder seinen Gang noch seine Rede noch seine Handlungsweise nachahmen.
Unspecified (narrative injunction; speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नोदाहरेत् = न + उदाहरेत्; परोक्षमपि = परोक्षम् + अपि (म् + अ → म); चैवास्य = च + एव + अस्य; अस्यानुकुर्वीत = अस्य + अनुकुर्वीत (y + a → yā by sandhi in writing).
FAQs
It instructs restraint: do not even mention the person’s name indirectly, and do not imitate their mannerisms—gait, speech, or actions—thereby avoiding normalization or propagation of their influence.
The emphasis suggests that even subtle or veiled references can keep attention fixed on an unworthy model; the verse promotes disengagement at the level of speech and thought, not only explicit praise or direct mention.
It frames discipline as comprehensive: avoid verbal repetition (name), behavioral mimicry (gait and gestures), and stylistic adoption (speech), since imitation can gradually shape one’s character and social influence.