Shloka 170
The Five Great Sacrifices: Supremacy of Honoring Parents, Pativrata Dharma, Truthfulness, and Śrāddha
तयोर्निश्श्वासवातेन मन्युना च भृशं पुनः । तपः क्षरति ते नित्यं तस्मात्पूजय तौ द्विज
tayorniśśvāsavātena manyunā ca bhṛśaṃ punaḥ | tapaḥ kṣarati te nityaṃ tasmātpūjaya tau dvija
ໂດຍລົມຫາຍໃຈຂອງທ່ານທັງສອງ ແລະໂດຍຄວາມໂກດແຄ້ນອັນແຮງກ້າຂອງທ່ານທັງສອງອີກ ຕະປະຂອງເຈົ້າຈຶ່ງຖືກກັດກິນໄປທຸກມື້. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ໂອ ດວິຊະ (ຜູ້ເກີດສອງຄັ້ງ) ຈົ່ງບູຊາທ່ານທັງສອງນັ້ນເຖີດ.
Unspecified (context-dependent narrator/advisor within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa Adhyaya 50)
Concept: Parental displeasure erodes spiritual merit; honoring parents safeguards tapas and dharma.
Application: Repair strained family relationships; seek forgiveness, serve materially and emotionally, and avoid speech/actions that provoke anger—treat reconciliation as a spiritual practice.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A young brāhmaṇa sits in meditation, but a visible wind—formed from the heavy exhalations of two displeased parents—blows away glowing embers of tapas like sparks. A compassionate divine advisor gestures toward the parents seated at the threshold, urging worship and reconciliation before the inner fire is extinguished.","primary_figures":["young dvija (seeker)","mother and father (as household deities)","a divine advisor figure (Vishnu’s messenger or the Lord in subtle form)"],"setting":"A simple āśrama-home courtyard with a small fire-altar, tulasi planter near the doorway, and ritual vessels laid out for pādya/arghya.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["smoke gray","saffron ember","earth brown","leaf green","ivory white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a brāhmaṇa youth with folded hands before seated parents on a carved wooden dais, a small homa-kuṇḍa with fading golden flames, the ‘breath-wind’ shown as swirling translucent ribbons; gold leaf halos around the parents as ‘visible deities’, rich vermilion and emerald textiles, gem-studded ornaments, traditional South Indian iconography and temple-arch framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate courtyard scene with delicate lines—parents on a low cot, the youth approaching with a brass water-pot and flowers; the wind of breath suggested by soft curving strokes carrying away tiny glowing specks of tapas; cool natural palette, lyrical trees and a distant hill, refined facial expressions of sternness softening into mercy.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines—parents seated frontally with dignified eyes, the youth in añjali-mudrā, a stylized spiral of wind sweeping over a lamp-flame; natural pigments with dominant ochres, greens, and reds; temple-wall aesthetic with ornamental borders and lotus motifs.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional household tableau framed by intricate floral borders and lotus vines; the parents depicted as sanctified figures with subtle halos, the youth offering garlands and water; deep indigo background with gold highlights, peacocks and cows in the margins symbolizing dharma’s gentleness, ornate patterns emphasizing reverence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","wind hush","soft mridang pulse","brief conch accent","silence after warning"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तयोर्निश्श्वासवातेन = तयोः + निश्श्वासवातेन; तस्मात्पूजय = तस्मात् + पूजय.
FAQs
It teaches that proximity to powerful beings—especially when marked by anger—can cause one’s accumulated tapas (ascetic merit) to diminish, so one should respond with reverence and worship rather than opposition.
It implies that spiritual merit gained through austerity is not permanently fixed; it can be depleted by adverse influences such as anger, conflict, or disrespect toward potent beings.
The verse refers to two previously mentioned figures in the surrounding narrative of Adhyaya 50; since their names are not present in the given line, identifying them requires the immediately preceding shlokas.