Shloka 49
Prohibitions and Rules of Right Conduct (Ācāra): Theft, Speech, Purity, Residence, and Social Boundaries
क्षुवतीं जृंभमाणां वा नासनस्थां यथासुखम् । नोदके चात्मनो रूपं शुभं वाशुभमेव वा
kṣuvatīṃ jṛṃbhamāṇāṃ vā nāsanasthāṃ yathāsukham | nodake cātmano rūpaṃ śubhaṃ vāśubhameva vā
തുമ്മുന്നവളെയോ ജംഭിക്കുന്നവളെയോ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ സുഖമായി ആസനസ്ഥയല്ലാത്തവളെയോ നോക്കരുത്. അതുപോലെ വെള്ളത്തിൽ സ്വന്തം പ്രതിബിംബം—ശുഭമോ അശുഭമോ—നോക്കരുത്.
Unspecified in provided excerpt (Svargakhaṇḍa didactic instruction)
Concept: Guard the senses and avoid inauspicious sights; purity and composure support dharmic life and ritual efficacy.
Application: Cultivate respectful gaze and situational sensitivity; avoid obsessive self-judgment (e.g., staring at reflections for omens) and keep attention steady before japa, pūjā, or fasting routines.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A quiet riverside ghat at dawn: a householder pauses mid-ablution, turning his gaze away from the rippling water where his reflection trembles. Nearby, a woman in a simple sari covers her mouth while sneezing, and another stretches in a yawn—both framed respectfully at a distance, emphasizing decorum and auspicious restraint.","primary_figures":["a Vaishnava householder (gṛhastha)","two women (one sneezing, one yawning)"],"setting":"stone ghat beside a calm river with brass lota, tulasi pot on a small ledge, and a distant temple shikhara","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["soft saffron","river-silver","stone gray","tulasi green","vermillion red"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a composed gṛhastha at a river ghat turning his face away from the shimmering water-reflection, a small tulasi in a decorated pot beside a brass vessel, distant Viṣṇu temple tower; gold leaf halo-like radiance around the temple, rich reds and greens, ornate borders, gem-studded accents on vessels and textiles, traditional South Indian iconographic clarity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate dawn ghat scene with lyrical ripples and a faint reflection in water, the householder averting his gaze in gentle restraint; cool pastel sky, refined facial features, minimal jewelry, distant temple silhouette, soft naturalism and fine brushwork with quiet narrative nuance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; the gṛhastha in simple dhoti near a stylized river with rhythmic wave patterns, tulasi pot emphasized as a sacred green motif, temple lamp-like glow in the background; characteristic large eyes and warm red/yellow/green palette.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional ghat tableau framed by lotus borders and floral vines; river rendered as patterned blue field, tulasi pot and conch motifs near the foreground, distant shrine of Viṣṇu; intricate border work, deep indigo and gold highlights, peacocks perched on the temple parapet."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing water","soft temple bells","morning birds","conch shell (distant)","silence between lines"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nāsanasthām = na + āsana-sthām; nodake = na + udake; cātmano = ca + ātmanaḥ; vāśubhameva = vā + aśubham + eva.
FAQs
In Purāṇic āchāra literature, reflections in water are treated as unstable and potentially omen-bearing; the verse advises avoiding such gaze, whether the perceived sign seems auspicious or inauspicious.
It promotes restraint and decorum: avoid intrusive or inopportune looking, and do not become preoccupied with omens or appearances during ordinary bodily moments like sneezing or yawning.
It is primarily behavioral (nīti/ācāra), giving etiquette-like guidance rather than expounding a deity-centered doctrine.