Shloka 77
Marks of the Debt-Bound/Enemy Son, Filial Dharma, Detachment, and the Durvāsā–Dharma Episode
दम एव तथायं ते यः पोषयति सर्वदा । जटिलः कर्कशः पिंगो ह्यतितीव्रो महाप्रभुः
dama eva tathāyaṃ te yaḥ poṣayati sarvadā | jaṭilaḥ karkaśaḥ piṃgo hyatitīvro mahāprabhuḥ
നിശ്ചയമായും ഇതേ ദമം (ആത്മസംയമം) നിന്നെ എപ്പോഴും പോഷിക്കുന്നു. അവൻ ജടാധാരിയും, കർക്കശനും, പിംഗലവർണ്ണനും, അതിതീവ്രനും, മഹാപ്രഭുവുമാണ്.
Unspecified (context not provided for speaker identification)
Concept: Dama (sense-control/self-restraint) is not weakness but a sustaining power—fierce, uncompromising, and protective of spiritual life.
Application: Set firm boundaries: regulate food, speech, media, and impulses; treat discipline as a protective ally rather than punishment.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Self-restraint appears as a formidable ascetic-guardian: matted hair, tawny complexion, and a stern gaze that cuts through temptation. He stands behind the practitioner like a living rampart, his presence both harsh and sustaining, as if discipline itself has taken a fierce human form.","primary_figures":["Dama (personified self-restraint)","brāhmaṇa practitioner","shadowy forms of temptations (symbolic)"],"setting":"Forest clearing with a boundary line of stones/kuśa grass, suggesting a protected spiritual space; faint silhouettes of worldly distractions beyond.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["tawny ochre","burnt umber","dark moss green","ash gray","ember orange"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: personified Dama as a powerful jaṭādhārī guardian with stern expression, gold leaf outlining the aura and weapon-like staff, rich maroon and green background panels, symbolic temptations rendered as subdued figures outside a sacred boundary, ornate frame with lotus and flame motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a dramatic yet refined ascetic with jaṭā, tawny tones, and sharp profile, set in a quiet forest with delicate leaves; temptations hinted as faint translucent figures; subtle play of light through trees, restrained palette and fine brushwork.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and intense eyes for Dama, strong ochre-red skin tones, stylized jaṭā, rhythmic foliage patterns, symbolic demons of distraction at the margins, temple-wall compositional clarity with decorative borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central guardian-ascetic motif framed by floral borders; temptations depicted as small patterned vignettes outside a lotus-ring mandala; deep indigo ground with gold and white detailing, intricate repetitive ornamentation emphasizing discipline’s order."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["hand drum (mridang) soft strokes","wind through trees","brief conch accent","crackling fire","measured silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तथायम् = तथा + अयम्; ह्यतितीव्रो = हि + अतितीव्रः (विसर्ग-लोप/यणादेश).
FAQs
It praises dama (self-restraint/sense-control) as the sustaining force behind a person’s stability and spiritual strength.
These are vivid, ascetic and formidable epithets, portraying self-restraint as a powerful, austere force—like a severe guardian that protects and strengthens one’s life and conduct.
That consistent control over impulses and senses is not merely restrictive—it actively nourishes character, endurance, and higher purpose.