Shloka 81
Pitṛ-tīrtha Context: Marks of Sin, Śrāddha Discipline, and Karmic Ripening
in Yayāti’s Narrative
ये तु मृष्टं समश्नंति नो वांच्छंतं ददंति च । पृथक्पाकी स विज्ञेयो ब्रह्मवादिषु गर्हितः
ye tu mṛṣṭaṃ samaśnaṃti no vāṃcchaṃtaṃ dadaṃti ca | pṛthakpākī sa vijñeyo brahmavādiṣu garhitaḥ
જે પોતે જ સ્વાદિષ્ટ, સુસંસ્કૃત અન્ન ભોગવે અને માગનારને દાન ન આપે—તે ‘પૃથકપાકી’ કહેવાય; બ્રહ્મવાદીઓમાં નિંદિત છે.
Not explicitly stated in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses).
Concept: Food becomes sanctified through sharing; cooking and eating solely for oneself is spiritually blameworthy.
Application: Before eating, reserve a portion for guests, the needy, animals, and sacred offering; cultivate a habit of giving when asked rather than rationalizing refusal.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a modest yet clean brāhmaṇa household, a man eats a lavishly prepared meal on a leaf-plate while, at the threshold, a weary supplicant with an outstretched hand waits. In the background, a small altar flame and a water pot suggest that the home could be a place of yajña, yet the act of refusal casts a moral shadow over the abundance.","primary_figures":["householder (gṛhastha)","supplicant (yācaka/atithi)","silent witness sage (optional, representing brahmavādins)"],"setting":"village home courtyard with threshold (dvāra), simple altar corner, cooking area with pots and ladles","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["burnt umber","saffron ochre","deep maroon","smoke gray","brass gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a South Indian courtyard scene with a richly dressed householder seated before a banana-leaf feast, ornate brass vessels and a small agni-kunda at the side; at the doorway a thin supplicant extends a hand. Use gold leaf halos subtly around the altar flame and decorative borders; rich reds, greens, and gem-like highlights on utensils to contrast with the moral austerity of refusal.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate domestic scene with delicate linework—householder eating from a leaf plate, a humble beggar at the threshold, a small shrine niche with a lamp; cool earthy palette, refined faces, lyrical realism, patterned floor mats, and a quiet moral tension conveyed through posture and gaze.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; the householder in warm reds and yellows, the supplicant in muted tones; a stylized lamp and altar to one side. Emphasize expressive eyes and symbolic gestures—closed hand of refusal versus open hand of request—within a temple-wall aesthetic frame.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a moral tableau framed by intricate floral borders and lotus motifs; central domestic scene with a small Vishnu shrine in the background, suggesting that feeding others is worship. Deep indigo accents, gold detailing on vessels, and peacock-feather border elements to heighten the devotional subtext of charity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","soft mridang pulse","crackling hearth fire","brief silence after the censure"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पृथक्पाकी = पृथक् + पाकी; वांच्छंतं = वाञ्छन्तम् (अनुस्वार/चन्द्रबिन्दु-लेखनभेद).
FAQs
A pṛthakpākī is someone who cooks and eats only for oneself—enjoying good food personally while refusing to give to a supplicant or guest.
It condemns selfish consumption and upholds dāna (giving) and hospitality—especially sharing food with those who ask—as a key duty of a householder.
Because brahmavādins value self-restraint, compassion, and duty; refusing to share basic sustenance while indulging oneself is treated as a serious moral failing.