Shloka 14
The Duties and Conduct of the Graduate (Snātaka) and the Householder
अकुर्वाणः पतत्याशु नरकानतिभीषणान् । अभ्यसेत्प्रयतो वेदं महायज्ञान्न हापयेत्
akurvāṇaḥ patatyāśu narakānatibhīṣaṇān | abhyasetprayato vedaṃ mahāyajñānna hāpayet
നിയതകർമ്മങ്ങൾ അനുഷ്ഠിക്കാത്തവൻ शीഘ്രം അതിഭീകര നരകങ്ങളിൽ പതിക്കുന്നു. അതുകൊണ്ട് നിയന്ത്രണത്തോടെ വേദം അഭ്യസിക്കണം; മഹായജ്ഞങ്ങളെ ഉപേക്ഷിക്കരുത്.
Unspecified (narrative injunction within Svarga-khaṇḍa; explicit dialogue speaker not provided in the excerpt).
Concept: Neglect of prescribed duties leads to swift downfall into dreadful hells; therefore one must practice disciplined Veda-study and never abandon the great sacrifices.
Application: Treat obligations (ethical, familial, spiritual) as non-optional; set a minimum daily study/prayer practice; keep commitments that sustain community and conscience.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stark moral tableau: on one side, a disciplined brāhmaṇa studies by a steady lamp and tends a sacrificial fire; on the other, shadowy naraka visions loom—jagged landscapes and fearful figures—kept at bay by the radiance of yajña. The composition dramatizes choice: negligence collapsing into darkness versus duty upheld as protective light.","primary_figures":["brāhmaṇa performing Veda-study","Agni (sacrificial fire)","nāraka-dūtas (shadowy messengers)"],"setting":"split-scene: ritual courtyard with altar contrasted against a distant, ominous hellscape horizon","lighting_mood":"dramatic chiaroscuro","color_palette":["charcoal black","fire gold","blood red","smoke violet","ash gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic split composition—left side a radiant yajña fire with gold leaf flames and ornate vessels, right side stylized naraka shadows in deep reds and blacks, gold leaf used as protective aura around the dutiful figure, rich jewel tones, emphatic moral contrast.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined yet intense moral scene with delicate linework, subdued dark palette for the hell horizon, warm lamp and fire glow around the studying brāhmaṇa, expressive but restrained fear imagery, lyrical contrast of light and darkness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, saturated reds and blacks for naraka forms, bright yellow-orange Agni dominating the center, strong symbolic geometry, temple-wall intensity conveying warning and resolve.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central protective flame motif with ornate borders, dark swirling cloud forms suggesting naraka at the edges, gold-highlighted Sanskrit manuscript and yajña vessels, lotus border as dharma’s enclosure, devotional moral allegory."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","sharp bell strikes","fire roar","distant thunder","sudden silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: patatyāśu → patati āśu; abhyasetprayato → abhyaset prayataḥ; mahāyajñānna → mahā-yajñān na.
FAQs
It recommends disciplined study of the Veda (veda-abhyāsa) and not neglecting the great sacrifices (mahāyajñas), i.e., faithfully maintaining prescribed dharma.
Neglect of one’s obligatory duties has grave consequences; sustained self-discipline expressed through learning (Veda) and righteous action (yajña) is presented as the corrective path.
This verse primarily emphasizes duty-based dharma—study of scripture and performance of yajña—rather than explicitly teaching devotional bhakti.