Shloka 37
Narrative of the Śūdra’s Renunciation of Greed
with the Tulādhāra Greatness Prelude
तैश्च शृंखलयोगैश्च बद्धो नैवोद्धृतिं व्रजेत् । एतद्विमृश्य शूद्रोऽसौ परित्यज्य गृहं गतः
taiśca śṛṃkhalayogaiśca baddho naivoddhṛtiṃ vrajet | etadvimṛśya śūdro'sau parityajya gṛhaṃ gataḥ
तैरेव शृङ्खलाबन्धैः सङ्गयोगैश्च बद्धोऽसौ मोक्षं नैवाधिगच्छेत्। इति सम्यग्विमृश्य स शूद्रो गृहं परित्यज्य निर्गतः॥
Narrator (contextual; explicit speaker not stated in the verse)
Concept: Worldly attachments are chains; without cutting them, uplift/deliverance is not attained—hence the resolve to renounce.
Application: Identify one binding attachment and loosen it through disciplined giving, simplified living, and redirecting time toward satsanga and Vishnu-smaraṇa.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A humble Śūdra stands at the threshold of his small home at dawn, a simple bundle in hand, looking back once with calm resolve. Invisible chains—made of faint smoke and gold threads—fall away from his wrists as he steps onto a forest path leading toward a distant temple-lotus horizon.","primary_figures":["Śūdra renunciant","family silhouettes (optional, subdued)","allegorical chains dissolving","distant Vishnu-emblem or temple spire"],"setting":"village edge opening into a forest road, with a far-off sacred skyline","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["warm ochre","forest green","soft white","copper","sky blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: the Śūdra at a decorated doorway, stepping out with a small cloth bundle; stylized chains rendered as curling motifs breaking apart; distant Vishnu temple arch with gold leaf glow; rich reds/greens, embossed gold halos, ornate border patterns emphasizing resolve and auspicious departure.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate village scene at sunrise; the renunciant’s posture calm and heroic; thin, almost transparent chain-lines dissolving; winding path into a gentle forest with a pale blue horizon; refined facial features and lyrical naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: frontal heroic stance of the departing renunciant; bold outlines, simplified village architecture; chain motifs breaking in rhythmic curves; a Vishnu chakra/lotus symbol above as guiding principle; dominant reds, yellows, greens with temple-wall symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central figure on a path bordered by stylized lotuses; ornate floral borders; small Vishnu symbols (shankha-chakra) in corners; chain motifs transformed into vine patterns that unravel; deep blue and gold accents with devotional textile intricacy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["morning birds","soft tanpura drone","footsteps on earth","distant temple bell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: naivoddhṛtiṃ → na eva uddhṛtim; śūdro'sau → śūdraḥ asau.
FAQs
“Chains” (śṛṅkhalā) metaphorically indicates binding attachments—ties that keep one constrained and thus unable to reach deliverance (uddhṛti).
Yes. The verse links bondage through attachment with the inability to attain release, and presents leaving the household (gṛhatyāga) as the response after reflection.
It teaches discernment (vimarśa): recognizing what binds the mind and choosing a course—detachment or renunciation—that supports freedom rather than continued bondage.