Shloka 11
Prohibitions and Rules of Right Conduct (Ācāra): Theft, Speech, Purity, Residence, and Social Boundaries
न धर्मस्यापदेशेन पापं कृत्वा व्रतं चरेत् । व्रतेन पापं व्यागुह्य कुर्वन्स्त्रीशूद्र दंभनम्
na dharmasyāpadeśena pāpaṃ kṛtvā vrataṃ caret | vratena pāpaṃ vyāguhya kurvanstrīśūdra daṃbhanam
ധർമ്മത്തിന്റെ പേരിൽ പാപം ചെയ്ത് പിന്നെ വ്രതം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കരുത്; വ്രതത്തിന്റെ മറവിൽ പാപം ഒളിപ്പിച്ച് ദംഭത്തോടെ സ്ത്രീകളെയും ശൂദ്രരെയും വഞ്ചിക്കരുത്।
Unspecified (context-dependent within Svarga-khaṇḍa narration)
Concept: Vrata is not a mask for sin; using vows to conceal wrongdoing is itself a deeper adharma.
Application: Do not ‘compensate’ for unethical acts with performative religiosity; confess, repair harm, and then undertake vows with clean intent; avoid manipulating vulnerable groups with religious posturing.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a temple corridor lit by oil lamps, a man performs a public vow with exaggerated gestures while a shadow behind him reveals hidden wrongdoing—coins, stolen goods, or a concealed weapon. A stern sage points not at the ritual items but at the man’s heart, as if demanding inner truth; the air feels charged with moral judgment.","primary_figures":["stern ṛṣi/ācārya","hypocritical vratin","temple attendants (optional)"],"setting":"temple mandapa with vow paraphernalia (kalasha, lamps, flowers), partially shadowed side-aisle symbolizing concealment","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit with sharp chiaroscuro","color_palette":["smoky black","lamp gold","deep maroon","ash white","copper"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic mandapa scene with a sage admonishing a showy vratin, gold leaf on lamps and deity arch, rich reds and greens, ornate jewelry contrasted with a dark corner showing concealed sin, expressive eyes emphasizing ethical severity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate moral tableau, fine lines showing a sage’s raised finger and the vratin’s uneasy face, soft interior lighting, muted palette with a single bright lamp, symbolic shadow-work revealing hidden misdeed.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized temple interior, the sage’s commanding posture, the vratin’s exaggerated ritual pose, contrasting red/yellow highlights against dark concealment, narrative clarity like a didactic wall panel.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lamp and ritual tray framed by floral borders, but with a symbolic dark vignette in one corner showing hidden sin, intricate patterns, deep indigo and gold, moral allegory embedded in devotional aesthetics."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","low drum pulse","hushed crowd","lamp crackle","sudden silence on key words"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धर्मस्यापदेशेन = धर्मस्य अपदेशेन; कुर्वन्स्त्रीशूद्र = कुर्वन् स्त्रीशूद्र(दम्भनम्) (anusvāra sandhi); स्त्रीशूद्रदंभनम् taken as compound ‘स्त्री-शूद्र-दम्भनम्’.
FAQs
It warns that vows are not meant to mask wrongdoing; practicing austerities while concealing sin is condemned as hypocrisy rather than dharma.
It means “under the guise of dharma”—using religious language or observances as a cover to justify or sanitize unethical actions.
It condemns exploiting those who may be socially vulnerable or less empowered in traditional settings, emphasizing that religious posturing must not become a tool for manipulation.