Shloka 7
Pitṛ-tīrtha Context: Marks of Sin, Śrāddha Discipline, and Karmic Ripening
in Yayāti’s Narrative
मातापित्रोश्च यो निंदां ताडनं भगिनीषु च । पितृस्वसृनिंदनं च तदेव पातकं ध्रुवम्
mātāpitrośca yo niṃdāṃ tāḍanaṃ bhaginīṣu ca | pitṛsvasṛniṃdanaṃ ca tadeva pātakaṃ dhruvam
മാതാപിതാക്കളെ നിന്ദിക്കുകയും സഹോദരിമാരെ അടിക്കുകയും പിതൃസ്വസാക്കളെ (പിതാവിന്റെ സഹോദരിമാർ) ദുഷിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ—അത് നിശ്ചയമായും പാതകമാണ്।
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from Adhyaya 67 frame dialogue).
Concept: Aparādha toward parents and close female kin is a definite pāpa; honoring family elders is integral to dharma.
Application: Practice vāṅ-mātra saṃyama (restraint of speech), non-violence at home, and daily acts of service to parents/guardians; treat sisters/aunts as objects of protection, not domination.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A domestic courtyard becomes a moral theatre: an elder mother and father sit with quiet dignity while a stern sage-like figure raises a hand in admonition, stopping harsh speech and violence. Nearby, sisters and paternal aunts stand under protective shade, the atmosphere heavy with the consequence of words and blows.","primary_figures":["gṛhastha householder","mother","father","sister","paternal aunt (pitṛsvasā)","admonishing ṛṣi (symbolic dharma-voice)"],"setting":"North Indian-style home courtyard with tulasī-vṛndāvana at the center, threshold lamps, and a small family shrine to Viṣṇu.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["deep vermilion","sandalwood beige","indigo shadow","antique gold","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a gṛhastha courtyard with a central tulasī-vṛndāvana and a small Viṣṇu shrine; an ṛṣi figure halts a man’s raised hand and harsh speech toward seated parents; sisters and pitṛsvasā stand protected; heavy gold leaf halos, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments, ornate pillars, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate household scene in a quiet courtyard; delicate faces show hurt and restraint; an elder sage gestures dharma; cool muted palette with lyrical naturalism, fine textile patterns, distant trees and a small shrine, refined linework and soft shading.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; central tulasī altar and Viṣṇu lamp; expressive wide eyes convey admonition and remorse; red-yellow-green dominant palette, temple-wall aesthetic, stylized jewelry and borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: courtyard framed by intricate floral borders and lotus motifs; tulasī altar prominent; subtle Viṣṇu presence in a shrine niche; figures arranged in devotional symmetry; deep blues and gold accents, ornate patterns, peacocks at the border as moral witnesses."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","low drone (tanpura)","soft household silence","conch shell (distant)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मातापित्रोश्च = माता-पित्रोः + च; पितृस्वसृनिंदनं→पितृस्वसृनिन्दनम्; तदेव = तत् + एव
FAQs
It treats disrespect toward parents and violence or abuse toward close female relatives as a definite moral transgression (pātaka).
Mother (mātā), father (pitā), sisters (bhaginī), and paternal aunts—father’s sisters (pitṛsvasṛ).
The verse frames these acts—slandering parents, striking sisters, and disparaging paternal aunts—as inherently blameworthy and therefore certainly sinful, underscoring a dharmic norm of familial reverence and non-violence.