Shloka 58
Determination of the Householder’s Dharma
Dāna: Types, Recipients, Timing, and Fruits
निवारयत्यधर्मात्मा तिर्यग्योनिं व्रजेत सः । यस्तु द्रव्यार्जनं कृत्वा नार्चयेद्ब्राह्मणान्सुरान्
nivārayatyadharmātmā tiryagyoniṃ vrajeta saḥ | yastu dravyārjanaṃ kṛtvā nārcayedbrāhmaṇānsurān
അധർമ്മബുദ്ധിയോടെ നൽകപ്പെടുന്ന ദാനം തടയുന്നവൻ തിര്യഗ്യോണിയിലേക്കു (പശുജന്മത്തിലേക്കു) പോകുന്നു. ധനം സമ്പാദിച്ചിട്ടും ബ്രാഹ്മണരെയും ദേവന്മാരെയും ആരാധിച്ചു ആദരിക്കാത്തവനും ദോഷിയാകുന്നു.
Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within Svargakhaṇḍa 57)
Concept: Wealth without honoring brāhmaṇas and devas is adharma; neglect leads to degradation into tiryag-yoni (animal birth).
Application: Dedicate a portion of income to dharmic giving (food, education, temple service); perform simple daily deva-arcana; treat prosperity as stewardship, not possession.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A wealthy man sits amid piled coins and granaries, turning away from a waiting brāhmaṇa and a small shrine where lamps have gone out. Behind him, a spectral karmic vision unfolds: the same figure dissolves into the silhouette of an animal form, while devas fade into distant clouds, emphasizing the cost of neglect.","primary_figures":["wealthy householder","brāhmaṇa petitioner","devas as fading luminous forms","karmic-vision animal silhouette"],"setting":"Granary courtyard with treasure chests, neglected altar, and a road where the brāhmaṇa stands as sat-pātra.","lighting_mood":"dramatic chiaroscuro","color_palette":["burnished bronze","ash gray","storm blue","lamp orange","shadow black"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: opulent hoarder with gold coins rendered in thick gold leaf, contrasted with a humble brāhmaṇa and a dim altar; above, devas in radiant gold halos receding; a symbolic animal-shadow behind the hoarder; rich reds/greens, ornate borders, moral allegory composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined domestic scene with granaries and delicate architecture; the brāhmaṇa at the threshold, the householder averting gaze; a translucent karmic animal form painted like a misty overlay; cool palette with precise facial emotion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines—central figure with exaggerated gesture of refusal, brāhmaṇa calm and upright, devas stylized in cloud bands; animal transformation motif in the background; earthy reds and yellows with deep greens.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical panel—wealth motifs (coins, granaries) framed by floral borders; in the upper register, a small Viṣṇu aura dimmed by neglect; cows and peacocks at edges as dharma witnesses; deep indigo with gold highlights and narrative vignettes."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low drum","thunder rumble","temple bell strike","sudden silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: निवारयत्यधर्मात्मा = निवारयति + अधर्मात्मा (इ + अ → य). नार्चयेत् = न + अर्चयेत् (न + अ → ना). अर्चयेद्ब्राह्मणान्सुरान् = अर्चयेत् + ब्राह्मणान् + सुरान् (त् + ब् → द्ब्; न् + स् → न्स्).
FAQs
It teaches that wealth should be used in dharmic ways—especially to honor and support brāhmaṇas and to maintain devotion through deva-pūjā—otherwise it leads to negative karmic results.
Tiryagyoni refers to a non-human/animal birth, presented here as a karmic consequence of living unrighteously and failing to use acquired wealth for worship and charitable support.
By stating that neglecting arcana (honoring/worship) of the devas—and the dharmic honoring of brāhmaṇas—is spiritually harmful, the verse frames worship and reverence as essential duties for a prosperous householder.