Shloka 5
Prohibitions and Rules of Right Conduct (Ācāra): Theft, Speech, Purity, Residence, and Social Boundaries
न देवद्रव्यहारी स्याद्विशेषेण द्विजोत्तमः । ब्रह्मस्वं वा नापहरेदापत्स्वपि कदाचन
na devadravyahārī syādviśeṣeṇa dvijottamaḥ | brahmasvaṃ vā nāpaharedāpatsvapi kadācana
Niemand soll das Eigentum der Götter stehlen, erst recht nicht der Vorzüglichste unter den Zweimalgeborenen. Auch soll man niemals Brahmanengut an sich nehmen, nicht einmal in Zeiten der Not.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (Svargakhaṇḍa narrative voice; commonly framed within a Purāṇic dialogue such as Pulastya → Bhīṣma, but not verifiable from this single verse alone).
Concept: Never steal deity property; never appropriate Brāhmaṇa property—even in distress.
Application: Maintain strict honesty with religious funds, donations, and community resources; in hardship seek lawful aid, community support, or vrata-based charity rather than misappropriation.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A temple treasury room with lamps and sealed donation vessels stands guarded by dharma itself—personified as a stern sage holding a śāstra. A would-be thief recoils as the deity’s presence fills the chamber, making the coins and offerings glow like consecrated fire.","primary_figures":["temple deity (Viṣṇu in arcā form)","stern dharma-sage","repentant would-be thief","brāhmaṇa priest"],"setting":"Stone temple interior near the garbhagṛha, with donation pots, flower baskets, and ritual vessels arranged in orderly sanctity.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["deep vermilion","antique gold","smoke gray","sandalwood beige","emerald green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Viṣṇu arcā in sanctum with gold leaf aura, gem-studded ornaments; foreground shows sealed devadravya vessels and a brāhmaṇa priest; a figure of Dharma holding a palm-leaf śāstra blocks a shadowy thief; rich reds/greens, ornate pillars, heavy gold embellishment.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate temple corridor scene—soft lamplight, delicate faces; the thief’s hesitation captured in subtle gesture; cool stone blues and warm lamp ochres; refined detailing of ritual vessels and flower garlands.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized Viṣṇu presence radiating; Dharma-sage with commanding eyes; red/yellow/green palette, temple wall aesthetic, rhythmic ornamentation on vessels and lamps.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central shrine motif with symmetrical borders of lotus and creepers; offerings arranged like a mandala; narrative vignette of a figure turning away from devadravya; deep indigo background with gold and vermilion highlights."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","conch shell","low drum pulse","lamp crackle","reverberant silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्याद्विशेṣeṇa → syāt viśeṣeṇa; नापहरेदापत्स्वपि → na apaharet āpatsu api.
FAQs
Devadravya refers to wealth dedicated to a deity or temple—offerings, endowments, and resources meant for worship and sacred purposes. The verse forbids appropriating it as theft.
It stresses heightened responsibility: an exemplary member of the twice-born classes—especially a Brahmin—must be even more vigilant in upholding dharma, making theft of sacred or Brahmin property particularly reprehensible.
The verse teaches that moral boundaries remain binding even under hardship: necessity does not justify stealing consecrated wealth or Brahmin property.