Shloka 63
The Glory of Guru-Tīrtha: The Guru as Supreme Pilgrimage
Prelude: Cyavana and the Parable Cycle
महाधिव्याधिना ग्रस्तस्त्यागं कृत्वा प्रयाति च । प्रव्राजितो भवेद्राजन्धर्मशास्त्रेषु दृश्यते
mahādhivyādhinā grastastyāgaṃ kṛtvā prayāti ca | pravrājito bhavedrājandharmaśāstreṣu dṛśyate
Jika seseorang ditimpa penyakit yang sangat berat dan sukar diubati, maka setelah melepaskan keterikatan duniawi, dia boleh berangkat sebagai pertapa pengembara (pravrājita). Wahai Raja, demikianlah yang terlihat dalam Dharmaśāstra.
Unspecified (instructional narrator addressing a king)
Concept: When afflicted by incurable illness, renunciation (pravrajyā/sannyāsa-like departure) is recognized by dharmaśāstra as a legitimate, dignified course.
Application: In times of irreversible decline, prioritize spiritual clarity: simplify obligations, cultivate remembrance of God, settle duties ethically, and seek a peaceful, non-clinging end.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A gravely ill noble lies on a simple cot, while a calm ascetic gestures toward the open road beyond the palace gate—symbolizing sanctioned renunciation. The scene balances compassion with serenity: attendants withdraw, leaving space for prayer, detachment, and the quiet dignity of departure.","primary_figures":["ailing householder","wandering ascetic (pravrājaka)","king (as addressed)","attendants (subdued)"],"setting":"palace threshold opening to a forest path; minimal ritual objects—water pot, staff, begging bowl—signaling pravrajyā","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["pale sandalwood","ash gray","soft saffron","sky blue","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a poignant threshold scene—an ascetic with staff and kamaṇḍalu stands near a palace doorway, advising a weakened householder; gold leaf highlights on doorway carvings and ascetic’s halo-like aura; rich maroons and greens contrasted with austere whites, emphasizing renunciation’s sanctity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tender, quiet composition—soft dawn light, a forest path beyond the palace, the ascetic’s gentle hand gesture, the ill man’s resigned gaze; delicate brushwork, muted pastels, lyrical trees and distant hills, refined emotional subtlety.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized figures with expressive eyes—ascetic in ochre, householder reclining, attendants in restrained poses; bold outlines, flat pigments, temple-wall solemnity, symbolic forest motifs at the border.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: renunciation framed by lotus and vine borders; a central doorway motif opening to a stylized grove with peacocks; deep blue ground with gold accents, emphasizing the spiritual ‘exit’ from worldly life."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["silence","soft tanpura drone","distant birds","gentle wind through leaves"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ग्रस्तस्त्यागम् = ग्रस्तः त्यागम्; भवेद्राजन् = भवेत् राजन्; राजन्धर्मशास्त्रेषु = राजन् धर्मशास्त्रेषु
FAQs
It describes being seized by a severe, difficult-to-cure illness as a situation in which one may renounce worldly life and go forth.
It explicitly states that such a course is found in the Dharmaśāstras, indicating it is recognized within normative legal-ethical tradition.
The verse frames renunciation not as escapism but as a dharmically sanctioned response to extreme bodily limitation—turning toward detachment and spiritual focus when ordinary duties can no longer be sustained.