Shloka 137
Slaying of Andhaka; Hymn to the Sun; Glory of Brahmins; Gayatri Nyasa and Pranayama
परदारान्न गृह्णाति मनसापि गृहागतान् । नारद उवाच । गायत्र्या लक्षणं किं वा प्रत्येकाक्षरजं गुणम्
paradārānna gṛhṇāti manasāpi gṛhāgatān | nārada uvāca | gāyatryā lakṣaṇaṃ kiṃ vā pratyekākṣarajaṃ guṇam
Dia tidak mengambil isteri orang lain—meskipun wanita itu datang ke rumahnya—bahkan dalam fikiran sekalipun. Nārada berkata: “Jika demikian, apakah tanda penentu Gāyatrī, atau kebajikan yang lahir daripada setiap suku katanya?”
Nārada (questioning, following an ethical statement in the narrative)
Concept: Ethical restraint includes mental non-appropriation; from that foundation arises inquiry into Gāyatrī’s lakṣaṇa and akṣara-guṇa.
Application: Guard the mind as carefully as actions; cultivate respectful boundaries, then approach sacred texts/mantras with humility and precise questioning.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a simple hermitage hall, Nārada stands with vīṇā at his side, listening to a prior ethical teaching; the scene shows a symbolic household doorway behind him, representing the mind’s threshold where purity is guarded. He then raises his hand in respectful inquiry, asking about Gāyatrī’s defining marks and the virtues of each syllable, as faint mantra-letters shimmer in the air.","primary_figures":["Nārada","A teaching sage/voice (off-screen or seated)","Symbolic household figures (subtle, non-sensational)"],"setting":"Hermitage or assembly space with palm-leaf manuscripts, a small fire altar, and an implied household threshold motif.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lamp gold","deep maroon","sage green","ivory","midnight blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Nārada with vīṇā in ornate attire, seated sage on a pedestal, shimmering Sanskrit akṣaras forming a halo-like arc; gold leaf on the akṣaras and ornaments, rich reds/greens, traditional iconographic symmetry and decorative borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate indoor scene with delicate textiles, Nārada’s refined face and gentle gesture of inquiry; faint mantra letters like fireflies, cool blues and soft creams, minimalistic sacred objects.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Nārada in stylized posture with vīṇā, bold outlines, mantra-akṣaras in rhythmic bands above; warm red-yellow-green palette, temple-wall compositional balance.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Nārada framed by lotus and floral borders; akṣaras arranged like garlands; deep blue background with gold highlights, peacocks and small lamps as repeating motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft vīṇā resonance","temple bell","silence between questions"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: परदारान्न = परदारान् + न; मनसापि = मनसा + अपि; गृहागतान् = गृह + आगतान्; ब्रह्मणश्शिरआरूढा (next verse) shows doubled ś by sandhi; here none beyond listed.
FAQs
It stresses complete restraint regarding another’s spouse—not only in action but even in thought—highlighting mental purity as part of dharma.
He asks for the defining nature (lakṣaṇa) of the Gāyatrī and the specific merit or quality attributed to each of its syllables (pratyekākṣara-ja guṇa).
It places inner discipline (control of the mind) alongside inquiry into the Gāyatrī’s syllabic merits, implying that spiritual practice and moral purity are mutually reinforcing.