Shloka 110
Slaying of Andhaka; Hymn to the Sun; Glory of Brahmins; Gayatri Nyasa and Pranayama
विप्रपादतलोद्घृष्टि क्षती भवति यः करः । स करः श्रीकरो नाम अन्यः कर्मकरः करः
viprapādatalodghṛṣṭi kṣatī bhavati yaḥ karaḥ | sa karaḥ śrīkaro nāma anyaḥ karmakaraḥ karaḥ
ബ്രാഹ്മണന്റെ പാദതലം തേച്ചു സേവിക്കുമ്പോൾ ക്ഷതം സംഭവിക്കുന്ന കൈയെ ‘ശ്രീകരം’ (മംഗളകരമായ കൈ) എന്നു വിളിക്കുന്നു; മറ്റേ കൈ വെറും കർമ്മം ചെയ്യുന്ന കൈ മാത്രമാണ്.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from Adhyaya 46 framing dialogue).
Concept: A hand that bears even a wound from serving a brāhmaṇa’s feet becomes ‘Śrīkara’—a hand that generates auspiciousness; mere labor without sanctified service is spiritually ordinary.
Application: Cultivate respectful service: offer assistance to teachers/elders, support Vedic learning, and practice humility; reinterpret ‘pāda-sevā’ today as sincere, non-exploitative service rather than performative status.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A humble devotee kneels on a clean courtyard floor, gently massaging a brāhmaṇa’s feet after a long ritual day; his palm shows a small abrasion, yet his face shines with quiet joy. The brāhmaṇa’s blessing gesture and a nearby palm-leaf manuscript suggest that the wound has become a seal of auspiciousness—‘Śrīkara’.","primary_figures":["brāhmaṇa","devotee/householder","optional: young students with manuscripts"],"setting":"home courtyard or gurukula veranda with kusa mats, water pot, and ritual implements","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["warm ochre","lamp gold","copper brown","cream white","indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: brāhmaṇa seated on a carved wooden seat with gold leaf halo, devotee at his feet with a small visible hand abrasion, ornate pillars and arch, rich crimson and emerald textiles, gem-like highlights on vessels, blessing mudrā emphasized with metallic sheen.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: quiet gurukula veranda, delicate lines showing the devotee’s careful hands at the brāhmaṇa’s feet, subtle expression of humility, cool shaded architecture, small manuscript bundle and water pot, refined facial features and soft gradients.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized figures with bold outlines, brāhmaṇa’s calm gaze and large eyes, devotee in kneeling posture, rhythmic decorative patterns on floor and pillars, earthy reds/yellows/greens, lamp flame as central accent.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional service scene framed by lotus and floral borders, deep blue background with gold motifs, peacocks at the edge, a small Vishnu shrine in the backdrop implying Hari-priyatā of brāhmaṇa-sevā, intricate textile patterns and symmetrical ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","low chanting","oil lamp crackle","silence between lines"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: viprapādatalodghṛṣṭi = vipra + pāda + tala + udghṛṣṭiḥ (compound); śrīkaro = śrī-karaḥ; karmakaraḥ = karma-karaḥ.
FAQs
It praises reverential service (sevā) toward a brāhmaṇa, stating that even a hand wounded in such service becomes ‘Śrīkara,’ i.e., auspicious and merit-bearing.
Because the verse treats humble service—so intense it causes abrasion—as spiritually fruitful; the hand becomes a ‘bringer of Śrī’ (auspiciousness/fortune) rather than merely an instrument of labor.
It elevates humility and devoted service over mere productivity, implying that actions aligned with dharma and reverence carry lasting spiritual value.