Shloka 40
पोषणे भक्षणे प्रीताः पूतिगर्ह्येष्वसाधुषु । पर्वतेकरणाद्वह्नेः काष्ठसंचयसंग्रहे
poṣaṇe bhakṣaṇe prītāḥ pūtigarhyeṣvasādhuṣu | parvatekaraṇādvahneḥ kāṣṭhasaṃcayasaṃgrahe
వారు పోషణలోను భక్షణలోను ఆనందిస్తారు; పాడైనది, నిందనీయం, అధర్మమైన కార్యాలలోనే రమిస్తారు. అగ్నికోసం ఇంధనాన్ని పర్వతంలా కుప్పగా చేసి, కట్టెల రాశులను సేకరించి నిల్వచేయడంలో ఆసక్తి చూపుతారు।
Unspecified (context needed to confirm the dialogue pair in Adhyaya 76)
Concept: Attachment to feeding/devouring and to foul, blameworthy acts becomes a self-reinforcing delight; even ritual-adjacent actions (firewood gathering) can be driven by tamas rather than sanctity.
Application: Transform daily chores into sāttvika offerings: cook cleanly, offer to Hari, keep the home altar/fire space pure; watch for compulsive accumulation and indulgence.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a dim courtyard, figures with coarse, restless expressions pile wood into a mound like a small mountain, while nearby they gorge on impure scraps beside a smoky fire. The scene is heavy with soot and moral weight; in the far background, a clean altar space with a small lamp suggests the alternative path of sanctified household worship.","primary_figures":["Tamasic householders (archetypal)","Smoky fire (Agni as distorted symbol)","A distant small altar lamp (symbolic)"],"setting":"Courtyard with woodpile, smoky hearth, refuse corner; distant clean shrine niche with a single lamp.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["smoke grey","charcoal black","ember orange","mud brown","lamp gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: courtyard scene with exaggerated woodpile 'mountain' and smoky hearth, figures indulging in impure food; gold leaf used sparingly on the distant altar lamp and border to emphasize the contrast, rich maroon background, ornate framing, traditional stylization.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate domestic courtyard with fine detail of wood textures and smoke curls, subdued palette, a small luminous lamp at the shrine niche, gentle but admonitory mood, refined linework and spatial layering.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, flat pigments, rhythmic smoke patterns, large expressive eyes on figures, strong reds/yellows/greens with dark soot tones, shrine lamp as a bright focal point, temple-wall narrative clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: domestic moral allegory framed by floral borders; the woodpile becomes a stylized mound with creeping dark vines, while a lotus medallion near the top holds a small lamp/Viṣṇu symbol; deep blue and gold with intricate detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["crackling fire","soft bell at altar","night insects","low drone","smoke-like hush"]}
FAQs
It criticizes delighting in mere consumption (feeding/devouring), attraction to impure and censurable acts, and engagement with unrighteous conduct—portrayed through imagery like obsessively gathering fuel and piling wood as if making a ‘mountain’ for fire.
The ‘fire’ can be read as craving or destructive appetite; collecting heaps of wood suggests repeatedly supplying that appetite. The verse warns against habits that continuously feed inner impulses rather than restraining and purifying them.
Ethically, it warns that taking pleasure in impure, blameworthy, or unrighteous activities reinforces harmful tendencies. The implied counsel is to shift delight toward purity, restraint, and dharmic conduct rather than fueling vice.