Shloka 74
Determination of the Householder’s Dharma
Dāna: Types, Recipients, Timing, and Fruits
उद्वेजयति भूतानि यथा चौरस्तथैव सः । गुरुं भृत्यांश्चोज्जिहीर्षुस्तर्पयन्देवतातिथीन्
udvejayati bhūtāni yathā caurastathaiva saḥ | guruṃ bhṛtyāṃścojjihīrṣustarpayandevatātithīn
Er schreckt die Wesen auf wie ein Dieb. Während er Lehrer und Diener loswerden will, buhlt er um Gunst, indem er die Götter und die Gäste zufriedenstellt.
Unspecified narrator (context not provided in the input excerpt)
Concept: One who terrifies beings and betrays dependents is thief-like, even if he outwardly worships gods and honors guests.
Application: Align public religiosity with private ethics: do not exploit employees/servants, do not manipulate teachers/mentors, and ensure hospitality is not a cover for harm elsewhere.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A wealthy householder performs deva-tarpaṇa and welcomes guests with elaborate trays, while behind him frightened animals and trembling servants recoil from his harsh shadow. A guru figure stands at the edge, half-turned away in sorrow, as the man’s silhouette resembles a thief slipping through darkness.","primary_figures":["hypocritical householder","guru (teacher)","servants/dependents","frightened animals (cow, deer, birds)","guests (atithi)"],"setting":"A grand courtyard with a ritual platform and guest seating; a darker back-alley corner revealing the hidden cruelty.","lighting_mood":"lamp-lit with ominous shadowplay","color_palette":["oil-lamp amber","blood maroon","midnight blue","brass gold","smoky black"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: opulent gṛhastha offering tarpaṇa with gold leaf vessels and ornate textiles; guests seated respectfully; behind, a dramatic shadow shaped like a thief, servants and animals recoiling; guru at the margin with sorrowful gaze; rich reds/greens, embossed gold for ritual objects, moral contrast through shadowed background.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: split narrative—foreground hospitality with delicate trays and refined faces; background a narrow dark corridor where servants cower; guru depicted with restrained sadness; cool night tones with warm lamp highlights, fine brushwork emphasizing psychological tension.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; exaggerated expressive eyes of frightened beings; ritual scene in bright pigments, hypocrisy shown by a stark black shadow-thief form; guru in calm but pained posture; temple-wall didactic composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate hospitality scene framed by floral borders; hypocrisy symbolized by a dark shadow motif woven into the border; animals and servants stylized as repeating patterns; deep blue ground with gold and red accents, devotional aesthetic used to critique false devotion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["sharp bell strikes","low thunder rumble (subtle)","murmurs of a crowd","sudden silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चौरस्तथैव = चौरः तथा एव; भृत्यांश्चोज्जिहीर्षुः = भृत्यान् च उज्जिहीर्षुः; तर्पयन्देवतातिथीन् = तर्पयन् देवता-अतिथीन् (द्वन्द्व).
FAQs
It condemns hypocrisy—causing fear and harm like a thief while outwardly performing pious acts such as pleasing deities and honoring guests.
They represent two respected recipients of reverence in dharma—divine worship (devatā) and social-sacred duty toward guests (atithi); the verse highlights the misuse of these duties to mask wrongdoing.
True dharma is measured by non-harm and integrity; ritual offerings and hospitality do not excuse cruelty, intimidation, or betrayal of one’s dependents.