Shloka 118
Multi-form Manifestations, Indra–Kāma Incarnations, Pravāha, and the Twofold Buddhi
Sense-Discipline and Exclusive Refuge in Viṣṇu
विवाहमैञ्जीदिवसे मूढबुद्धे जुगुसितान्धारयित्वा सुभक्त्या / वरारार्तिकं कांस्यपात्रे निधाय कृत्वार्तिक्यं उदौदैति शब्दम्
vivāhamaiñjīdivase mūḍhabuddhe jugusitāndhārayitvā subhaktyā / varārārtikaṃ kāṃsyapātre nidhāya kṛtvārtikyaṃ udaudaiti śabdam
Wahai yang berakal tumpul! Pada hari pernikahan atau upacara benang suci (upanayana), bila seseorang dengan bhakti mengenakan hal yang tercela, lalu menaruh ārati pengantin dalam bejana perunggu dan melaksanakan ārati, maka timbullah bunyi yang keras.
Lord Vishnu
Concept: Saṃskāras demand purity and right intention; mixing sacred rites with reprehensible acts leads to inauspicious outcomes and karmic repercussions.
Vedantic Theme: Karma: intention (bhāva) and right conduct shape future experience; outer ritual without inner dharma becomes hollow and harmful.
Application: Maintain śauca (cleanliness), satya, and restraint during life-cycle rites; avoid exploitative, intoxicating, or cruel practices under the cover of ‘tradition’; keep rituals aligned with ethical living.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: hasya
Type: domestic/ceremonial hall
Related Themes: Garuda Purana moralizing passages that critique hypocrisy and ritualism without dharma (contextual parallel within dharma sections)
FAQs
This verse cautions that mixing censurable or impure elements with sacred samskāra rites (like marriage and upanayana) is considered a sign of delusion and leads to inauspicious disturbance, symbolized here by an alarming “sound” arising during ārati.
The Preta Kanda repeatedly links right conduct (dharma) with outcomes; here it stresses that even devotional acts like ārati must be performed with proper appropriateness and purity, otherwise the act becomes tainted and yields inauspicious results.
Keep key life-cycle rituals (wedding, upanayana) orderly and respectful: avoid improper substitutions, impure items, or unethical behavior while performing worship; let devotion be paired with correct conduct and cleanliness.