Shloka 74
The Five Great Sacrifices: Supremacy of Honoring Parents, Pativrata Dharma, Truthfulness, and Śrāddha
किमुक्तश्च तया त्वं च वद तत्सांप्रतं मुने । विप्र उवाच । प्रष्टुं धर्मतुलाधारं सा च मां समुपादिशत्
kimuktaśca tayā tvaṃ ca vada tatsāṃprataṃ mune | vipra uvāca | praṣṭuṃ dharmatulādhāraṃ sā ca māṃ samupādiśat
“आता सांग, हे मुने—तिने काय म्हटले आणि तू काय उत्तर दिलेस?” विप्र म्हणाला—“धर्मतुला धारण करणाऱ्या तुलाधाराला जाऊन प्रश्न कर, असे तिने मला उपदेशिले.”
Vipra (Brāhmaṇa narrator)
Concept: True instruction directs the seeker to the very foundation that weighs and upholds dharma—implying that dharma is measurable by a higher standard than opinion.
Application: When confused about right action, seek a principled authority (scripture, realized teacher, or conscience aligned with dharma) rather than social rumor.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A brāhmaṇa recounts, with folded hands and earnest eyes, how the virtuous woman directed him toward the ‘support of Dharma’s balance.’ The scene feels like the beginning of a pilgrimage of conscience—an invisible scale hovering in symbolism, weighing truth against pretense.","primary_figures":["Brāhmaṇa narrator","Sage (muni) being addressed","Sādhvī/pativratā woman (as remembered/indicated)"],"setting":"Hermitage interior with palm-leaf manuscripts and a small altar; in the background, a symbolic balance scale and a faint lotus motif suggest cosmic dharma.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lamp-flame amber","deep maroon","palm-leaf tan","midnight blue","sage green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: brāhmaṇa narrating to a seated muni; gold leaf highlights on a symbolic dharma-balance and halo accents, rich reds and greens, ornate pillars and arch frame, traditional iconography with a subtle lotus emblem indicating Vishnu-grounded dharma.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: quiet hermitage teaching scene; the brāhmaṇa speaks respectfully to the sage, with a delicate symbolic balance drawn in the margin-like space; cool, refined palette, fine textiles, gentle facial expressions, lyrical stillness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, warm pigments; sage seated in teaching posture, brāhmaṇa in añjali; stylized lamp and manuscript props, a prominent balance symbol integrated into the mural patterning, temple-wall gravitas.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative framed by lotus and floral borders; central sage and brāhmaṇa with a decorative dharma-scale motif above, deep blue background with gold ornament, peacocks and vines, devotional storytelling aesthetic."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["oil lamp crackle","soft bell","page rustle (palm leaves)","night insects faint"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: किमुक्तश्च = किम् + उक्तः + च; तत्सांप्रतं = तत् + साम्प्रतम्; विप्र उवाच = विप्रः + उवाच; धर्मतुलाधारं = धर्मतुलाधारम्.
FAQs
The verse explicitly marks the speaker as the “vipra” (a brāhmaṇa), indicating a narrated reply within an ongoing dialogue.
It literally means “the support/base of Dharma’s balance,” i.e., the authority or upholder associated with weighing and judging Dharma—someone to be approached for a decisive clarification about righteousness.
It emphasizes disciplined inquiry: when faced with uncertainty, one should seek guidance from an authoritative foundation of Dharma rather than relying on guesswork or impulse.