Shloka 58
Determination of the Householder’s Dharma
Dāna: Types, Recipients, Timing, and Fruits
निवारयत्यधर्मात्मा तिर्यग्योनिं व्रजेत सः । यस्तु द्रव्यार्जनं कृत्वा नार्चयेद्ब्राह्मणान्सुरान्
nivārayatyadharmātmā tiryagyoniṃ vrajeta saḥ | yastu dravyārjanaṃ kṛtvā nārcayedbrāhmaṇānsurān
Celui dont l’âme est adharma et qui l’entrave va vers une naissance animale. Et celui qui, après avoir amassé des biens, n’honore pas—par le culte et le soutien—les brāhmaṇas et les dieux, s’égare hors du dharma.
Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within Svargakhaṇḍa 57)
Concept: Wealth without honoring brāhmaṇas and devas is adharma; neglect leads to degradation into tiryag-yoni (animal birth).
Application: Dedicate a portion of income to dharmic giving (food, education, temple service); perform simple daily deva-arcana; treat prosperity as stewardship, not possession.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A wealthy man sits amid piled coins and granaries, turning away from a waiting brāhmaṇa and a small shrine where lamps have gone out. Behind him, a spectral karmic vision unfolds: the same figure dissolves into the silhouette of an animal form, while devas fade into distant clouds, emphasizing the cost of neglect.","primary_figures":["wealthy householder","brāhmaṇa petitioner","devas as fading luminous forms","karmic-vision animal silhouette"],"setting":"Granary courtyard with treasure chests, neglected altar, and a road where the brāhmaṇa stands as sat-pātra.","lighting_mood":"dramatic chiaroscuro","color_palette":["burnished bronze","ash gray","storm blue","lamp orange","shadow black"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: opulent hoarder with gold coins rendered in thick gold leaf, contrasted with a humble brāhmaṇa and a dim altar; above, devas in radiant gold halos receding; a symbolic animal-shadow behind the hoarder; rich reds/greens, ornate borders, moral allegory composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined domestic scene with granaries and delicate architecture; the brāhmaṇa at the threshold, the householder averting gaze; a translucent karmic animal form painted like a misty overlay; cool palette with precise facial emotion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines—central figure with exaggerated gesture of refusal, brāhmaṇa calm and upright, devas stylized in cloud bands; animal transformation motif in the background; earthy reds and yellows with deep greens.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical panel—wealth motifs (coins, granaries) framed by floral borders; in the upper register, a small Viṣṇu aura dimmed by neglect; cows and peacocks at edges as dharma witnesses; deep indigo with gold highlights and narrative vignettes."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low drum","thunder rumble","temple bell strike","sudden silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: निवारयत्यधर्मात्मा = निवारयति + अधर्मात्मा (इ + अ → य). नार्चयेत् = न + अर्चयेत् (न + अ → ना). अर्चयेद्ब्राह्मणान्सुरान् = अर्चयेत् + ब्राह्मणान् + सुरान् (त् + ब् → द्ब्; न् + स् → न्स्).
FAQs
It teaches that wealth should be used in dharmic ways—especially to honor and support brāhmaṇas and to maintain devotion through deva-pūjā—otherwise it leads to negative karmic results.
Tiryagyoni refers to a non-human/animal birth, presented here as a karmic consequence of living unrighteously and failing to use acquired wealth for worship and charitable support.
By stating that neglecting arcana (honoring/worship) of the devas—and the dharmic honoring of brāhmaṇas—is spiritually harmful, the verse frames worship and reverence as essential duties for a prosperous householder.