Shloka 5
Prohibitions and Rules of Right Conduct (Ācāra): Theft, Speech, Purity, Residence, and Social Boundaries
न देवद्रव्यहारी स्याद्विशेषेण द्विजोत्तमः । ब्रह्मस्वं वा नापहरेदापत्स्वपि कदाचन
na devadravyahārī syādviśeṣeṇa dvijottamaḥ | brahmasvaṃ vā nāpaharedāpatsvapi kadācana
देवद्रव्यहारी कदाचन न स्यात्, विशेषेण द्विजोत्तमः। ब्रह्मस्वं चापत्स्वपि कदापि नापहरेत्।
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (Svargakhaṇḍa narrative voice; commonly framed within a Purāṇic dialogue such as Pulastya → Bhīṣma, but not verifiable from this single verse alone).
Concept: Never steal deity property; never appropriate Brāhmaṇa property—even in distress.
Application: Maintain strict honesty with religious funds, donations, and community resources; in hardship seek lawful aid, community support, or vrata-based charity rather than misappropriation.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A temple treasury room with lamps and sealed donation vessels stands guarded by dharma itself—personified as a stern sage holding a śāstra. A would-be thief recoils as the deity’s presence fills the chamber, making the coins and offerings glow like consecrated fire.","primary_figures":["temple deity (Viṣṇu in arcā form)","stern dharma-sage","repentant would-be thief","brāhmaṇa priest"],"setting":"Stone temple interior near the garbhagṛha, with donation pots, flower baskets, and ritual vessels arranged in orderly sanctity.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["deep vermilion","antique gold","smoke gray","sandalwood beige","emerald green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Viṣṇu arcā in sanctum with gold leaf aura, gem-studded ornaments; foreground shows sealed devadravya vessels and a brāhmaṇa priest; a figure of Dharma holding a palm-leaf śāstra blocks a shadowy thief; rich reds/greens, ornate pillars, heavy gold embellishment.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate temple corridor scene—soft lamplight, delicate faces; the thief’s hesitation captured in subtle gesture; cool stone blues and warm lamp ochres; refined detailing of ritual vessels and flower garlands.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized Viṣṇu presence radiating; Dharma-sage with commanding eyes; red/yellow/green palette, temple wall aesthetic, rhythmic ornamentation on vessels and lamps.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central shrine motif with symmetrical borders of lotus and creepers; offerings arranged like a mandala; narrative vignette of a figure turning away from devadravya; deep indigo background with gold and vermilion highlights."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","conch shell","low drum pulse","lamp crackle","reverberant silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्याद्विशेṣeṇa → syāt viśeṣeṇa; नापहरेदापत्स्वपि → na apaharet āpatsu api.
FAQs
Devadravya refers to wealth dedicated to a deity or temple—offerings, endowments, and resources meant for worship and sacred purposes. The verse forbids appropriating it as theft.
It stresses heightened responsibility: an exemplary member of the twice-born classes—especially a Brahmin—must be even more vigilant in upholding dharma, making theft of sacred or Brahmin property particularly reprehensible.
The verse teaches that moral boundaries remain binding even under hardship: necessity does not justify stealing consecrated wealth or Brahmin property.