Shloka 20
The Five Great Sacrifices: Supremacy of Honoring Parents, Pativrata Dharma, Truthfulness, and Śrāddha
पित्रोरपोषणं कृत्वा सर्वपुण्यक्षयो भवेत् । नाराध्य पितरौ पुत्रस्तीर्थदेवान्भजन्नपि
pitrorapoṣaṇaṃ kṛtvā sarvapuṇyakṣayo bhavet | nārādhya pitarau putrastīrthadevānbhajannapi
ತಂದೆ-ತಾಯಿಯನ್ನು ಪೋಷಿಸದೆ ಇದ್ದರೆ ಸಮಸ್ತ ಪುಣ್ಯ ಕ್ಷಯವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಪುತ್ರನು ತೀರ್ಥ-ದೇವತೆಗಳನ್ನು ಭಜಿಸಿದರೂ, ಪಿತೃಮಾತೃಗಳನ್ನು ಆರಾಧಿಸದೆ ಇದ್ದರೆ ನಿಜ ಫಲ ದೊರೆಯದು.
Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Parental service is a root-dharma; neglect of parents nullifies accumulated puṇya even from tīrtha and deva-bhajana.
Application: Prioritize caring for parents/elders—food, health, respect, time—before undertaking pilgrimages, donations, or public religiosity; integrate daily acts of seva as worship.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A young brāhmaṇa stands at a river-ghāṭa with folded hands toward distant shrines, yet behind him his aged parents sit unattended, their faces weary. The sacred river glitters, but the light falls more strongly on the parents, revealing that true tīrtha is seva at home.","primary_figures":["young brāhmaṇa pilgrim","aged mother","aged father","tīrtha-devatā silhouettes (Vishnu shrine/linga/river goddess as distant icons)"],"setting":"riverbank ghāṭa with steps, a small roadside shrine, travel bundle and wet bathing cloths, parents seated near a modest hut edge","lighting_mood":"golden dawn with moral chiaroscuro","color_palette":["saffron ochre","river-silver","lotus pink","deep indigo","antique gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a moral tableau at a river-ghat—young brāhmaṇa with travel staff and kamandalu facing a distant Vishnu shrine, while his aged parents sit neglected in the foreground; emphasize the parents with gold leaf halo-like radiance, rich maroon and emerald textiles, gem-studded ornaments on the shrine icon, ornate arch framing the scene, traditional South Indian iconography and patterned floor tiles.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical riverbank scene with delicate brushwork—slender brāhmaṇa pilgrim turning away, aged parents seated near a simple hut; cool blues and soft greens, distant temple spire and banyan tree, refined facial expressions showing quiet sorrow, thin white outlines on garments, Himalayan-like atmospheric depth.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments—river-ghat with stylized waves, the brāhmaṇa in white with sacred thread, parents in warm earth tones; a small Vishnu shrine in the background with lamp flames; large expressive eyes conveying admonition, red-yellow-green palette with rhythmic decorative borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional moral allegory—river and lotus motifs framing the scene, ornate floral borders; a small Vishnu icon in a distant shrine, but the central emphasis on parents as ‘living deities’; deep blue background with gold highlights, peacocks and lotuses subtly integrated to contrast outer pilgrimage with inner duty."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells (distant)","flowing water","soft conch (far)","brief silence after the warning"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nārādhya = na + ārādhya; putrastīrthadevānbhajannapi = putraḥ + tīrtha-devān + bhajan + api (visarga sandhi; n of devān before bh- retained).
FAQs
It teaches that neglecting one’s parents destroys religious merit, and that pilgrimage or deity-worship is spiritually incomplete without honoring and caring for parents.
No. It prioritizes ethical duty (supporting parents) as foundational; worship and pilgrimage are presented as ineffective when basic dharma toward parents is ignored.
That tangible responsibility—nourishing, supporting, and respecting one’s parents—is a primary dharma, and spiritual practices should not be used to bypass personal obligations.