Shloka 46
The Five Great Sacrifices: Supremacy of Honoring Parents, Pativrata Dharma, Truthfulness, and Śrāddha
किर्थं च त्वया विप्र चांडालस्य गृहोदरे । सदा संस्थीयते तात योषाजनवृते मुदा
kirthaṃ ca tvayā vipra cāṃḍālasya gṛhodare | sadā saṃsthīyate tāta yoṣājanavṛte mudā
E por que, ó brāhmaṇa, permaneces sempre, venerável senhor, dentro da casa de um caṇḍāla, alegremente cercado pelas mulheres da família?
Unspecified (contextual interlocutor questioning a brāhmaṇa; likely within a dialogue frame such as Pulastya–Bhīṣma, but not determinable from the single verse alone)
Concept: External status and location do not alone determine purity; the question exposes the seeker’s attachment to social markers over inner virtue.
Application: Notice where prejudice colors your spiritual judgments; evaluate character, compassion, and devotion rather than birth or surroundings.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A questioning figure gestures toward a modest, shadowed dwelling at the village edge, where women’s silhouettes move within, while a brāhmaṇa stands composed yet scrutinized. The scene holds tension: the onlooker’s incredulity contrasts with the brāhmaṇa’s quiet certainty, hinting at hidden sanctity behind an ordinary door.","primary_figures":["Questioner/interlocutor","Brāhmaṇa (vipra)","Womenfolk (yoṣā-janāḥ, as background figures)"],"setting":"A village boundary lane near a humble house, with earthen walls, a small courtyard, and everyday domestic details (water pot, lamp niche).","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["earth brown","indigo shadow","muted vermilion","ivory","smoke gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic moral tableau—brāhmaṇa in pristine white with sacred thread, interlocutor pointing toward a humble house; gold leaf accents used sparingly to foreshadow hidden divinity; rich border patterns, traditional South Indian architectural motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate village-edge scene with delicate linework; the house rendered with lyrical simplicity, women as soft background forms; expressive faces showing surprise and restraint; cool palette with gentle narrative tension.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and stylized domestic architecture; brāhmaṇa and questioner in profile dialogue; rhythmic placement of figures, warm reds and yellows against deep greens, temple-wall storytelling feel.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic composition—humble house framed by ornate floral borders and lotus motifs; the brāhmaṇa centered as a devotional figure; peacocks and vines at margins, deep blues and gold to suggest the Lord’s unseen presence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["murmur of a village","clay pot clink","distant conch from a shrine","brief silence after the question"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kirthaṃ read as kathaṃ (orthographic/recensional variant); gṛha+udare → gṛhodare; yoṣā+jana+vṛte → yoṣājanavṛte.
FAQs
It questions the propriety and motive of a brāhmaṇa residing in a caṇḍāla’s house and being happily surrounded by womenfolk—an inquiry into conduct (ācāra) and social norms.
The verse is framed as a question rather than a direct condemnation; it signals suspicion or surprise and invites an explanation that would be provided by surrounding verses.
They commonly probe intention, purity of conduct, and dharmic justification—urging readers to examine reasons behind actions rather than judging only by appearances.