Shloka 7
Prohibitions and Rules of Right Conduct (Ācāra): Theft, Speech, Purity, Residence, and Social Boundaries
पुष्पं शाकोदकं काष्ठं तथा मूलं फलं तृणम् । अदत्तानि च न स्तेयं मनुः प्राह प्रजापतिः
puṣpaṃ śākodakaṃ kāṣṭhaṃ tathā mūlaṃ phalaṃ tṛṇam | adattāni ca na steyaṃ manuḥ prāha prajāpatiḥ
फूल, भाजी, पाणी, लाकूड, तसेच मुळे, फळे व गवत—ही सर्वे जर दिली नसतील तर घेणे चोरी ठरते; असे प्रजापती मनूंनी सांगितले आहे.
Narrator (citing Manu as authority)
Concept: Even seemingly minor items (flowers, greens, water, wood, roots, fruits, grass) are not to be taken if not given; Manu is cited as authority.
Application: Ask permission before taking from shared or private land; avoid ‘small thefts’ (office supplies, public resources); source worship materials ethically.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage recites Manu’s rule to a group of students near a forest edge where baskets of flowers and firewood lie untouched until permission is granted. A landholder gestures assent, and only then do the students gather a measured amount, leaving the grove undisturbed.","primary_figures":["sage-teacher (ācārya)","brahmacārin students","landholder/caretaker"],"setting":"Forest margin with a small hermitage, flowering shrubs, a water pot by a well, and neatly stacked firewood.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["sage green","bark brown","sunlit amber","sky blue","cream white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: hermitage scene with an ācārya holding a palm-leaf manuscript, students with folded hands, baskets of flowers and wood; gold leaf accents on manuscript and halos, rich earthy reds/greens, ornate border framing the moral instruction.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate forest vignette—students waiting for permission, refined facial expressions, soft foliage textures, gentle stream nearby; cool greens and blues with warm amber highlights.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized hermitage with bold outlines; teacher in commanding posture, students attentive; red/yellow/green palette, rhythmic foliage patterns, manuscript emphasized.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: floral border of vines and lotuses; central scene of ethical gathering—measured plucking of flowers; deep blue ground with gold and green detailing, peacocks and cows as symbols of gentle living."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["rustling leaves","birds","soft water draw from a well","wooden staff tap","quiet bells"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शाकोदकं → śāka-udakam (द्वन्द्व); मनुः प्राह प्रजापतिः—‘मनुः’ and ‘प्रजापतिः’ in apposition for the speaker.
FAQs
No. It explicitly lists common natural items—flowers, fruits, roots, grass, wood, even water—and says that if they are not given, taking them is considered theft.
It reinforces asteya (non-stealing): respect for others’ ownership and consent, extending even to items people may treat as “minor” or freely available.
Manu is cited as a dharma authority; invoking Manu (as Prajāpati) strengthens the rule as a principled, normative teaching rather than a casual opinion.