Shloka 59
Teaching on Karma-yoga
Discipline of Action as Worship
भैक्ष्यस्याचरणं प्रोक्तं पतिता दिवि वर्जितम् । वेदयज्ञैरहीनानां प्रशस्तानां स्वकर्म्मसु
bhaikṣyasyācaraṇaṃ proktaṃ patitā divi varjitam | vedayajñairahīnānāṃ praśastānāṃ svakarmmasu
భిక్షావృత్తి ఆచరణము (కొంతమందికి) చెప్పబడినది; కాని పతితులకు అది నిషిద్ధము. వేదయజ్ఞాదులలో హీనులు కాని, స్వకర్మములలో ప్రశస్తులైనవారికే అది ధర్మములో ప్రశంసనీయం।
Not specified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses).
Concept: A practice is not inherently purifying; it becomes dharmic only when performed by one established in rightful conduct and Vedic obligations—otherwise it is prohibited and spiritually counterproductive.
Application: Do not imitate renunciation or austerity as a social pose; align lifestyle choices with genuine duty, integrity, and disciplined practice.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A split tableau: on one side, a disciplined Veda-knowing practitioner receives alms with humility; on the other, a fallen, dissolute figure in ascetic guise is turned away by a luminous gate to Svarga. Above, a celestial arch inscribed with Vedic symbols suggests that heaven admits only those whose conduct matches their vows.","primary_figures":["disciplined practitioner (brahmacārin/vaidika)","fallen pseudo-ascetic (patita)","celestial gatekeeper (symbolic)"],"setting":"threshold between village earth and a radiant svarga-gate in the sky","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sapphire blue","white gold","smoky gray","sunrise orange","emerald"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic dual-panel composition with a radiant svarga-dvāra in gold leaf; on the left a humble Vedic practitioner with sacred thread and palm-leaf Veda; on the right a disordered ascetic figure denied entry; rich reds/greens, embossed gold on the gate and halos, jewel-like ornamentation on celestial motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical yet moralizing split scene; delicate clouds and a pale svarga-arch; subtle facial expressions showing sincerity versus deceit; cool blues and soft oranges, fine brushwork on manuscripts and garments.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and symbolic clarity; svarga gate as a stylized arch with lotus and chakra motifs; contrasting body language—upright restraint versus slumped impropriety; saturated pigments and temple-wall composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate celestial border with lotus and chakra patterns; central svarga-arch; figures arranged symmetrically to show dharma vs dharma-ābhāsa; deep blue field with gold highlights and floral filigree."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell (soft)","low thunder (distant)","tanpura drone","brief silence after warning line"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भैक्ष्यस्याचरणं = भैक्ष्यस्य + आचरणम्; वेदयज्ञैरहीनानां = वेदयज्ञैः + अहीनानाम्.
FAQs
No. It treats living on alms as a regulated practice, not a universal ideal; it is restricted and tied to eligibility and proper dharma.
Those described as patita—people who have fallen from rightful conduct—are said to be barred (varjitam) from this practice.
Spiritual disciplines must match one’s qualifications and duties: approved conduct includes adherence to one’s sva-karma and not abandoning Vedic responsibilities without fitness.