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
ಅವನು ಕಳ್ಳನಂತೆ ಜೀವಿಗಳನ್ನು ಭಯಪಡಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಗುರು ಮತ್ತು ಸೇವಕರನ್ನು ದೂರಮಾಡಬೇಕೆಂದು ಬಯಸಿ, ದೇವತೆಗಳನ್ನೂ ಅತಿಥಿಗಳನ್ನೂ ತೃಪ್ತಿಪಡಿಸಿ ಅನುಗ್ರಹವನ್ನು ಗಳಿಸಲು ಯತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ.
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.