Shloka 22
Teaching of Karma-yoga
Student Conduct, Vedic Study, and Gāyatrī Supremacy
गुरूच्छिष्टं भेषजान्नं प्रयुंजीत न कामतः । मलापकर्षणं स्नानं नाचरेद्धि कदाचन
gurūcchiṣṭaṃ bheṣajānnaṃ prayuṃjīta na kāmataḥ | malāpakarṣaṇaṃ snānaṃ nācareddhi kadācana
కేవలం కోరికతో గురువు ఉచ్ఛిష్టాన్ని గానీ, ఔషధసమానంగా భావించిన ఆహారాన్ని గానీ స్వీకరించకూడదు. శరీర మలాన్ని తొలగించడానికే స్నానం ఎప్పుడూ చేయకూడదు.
Not explicitly stated in the provided excerpt (context-dependent within Svarga-khaṇḍa 53).
Concept: Do not turn sacred or necessary acts (guru-ucchiṣṭa, medicine, bathing) into objects of sensual craving; preserve their intended dharmic purpose.
Application: Receive prasāda and medicine with gratitude and necessity, not appetite; bathe with sankalpa for purity and prayer, not vanity; keep motives transparent.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a simple guru-kula dining space, a disciple sits with composed posture, receiving a small portion of guru-prasāda without greed, while a physician’s herbal bowl rests nearby as ‘medicine-food’. In the background, a bathing area is shown with clean water and a lamp, emphasizing snāna as sacred purification rather than mere scrubbing.","primary_figures":["guru","disciple","vaidya (optional supporting figure)"],"setting":"Hermitage interior with low wooden seat, leaf-plates, herbal decoction vessel, and a modest snāna-ghaṭa area screened by cloth.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["warm ochre","lamp-flame gold","herbal green","ivory white","deep maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: guru seated on a decorated wooden āsana, disciple receiving minimal prasāda with folded humility, ornate gold leaf highlights on vessels and lamp, rich reds/greens in textiles, gem-like detailing on ritual containers, symmetrical composition conveying restraint.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate indoor āśrama scene with delicate brushwork, soft shadows, refined faces, a small herbal bowl and water pot rendered with fine detail, cool muted palette with lyrical calm, subtle narrative cues of disciplined intent.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized guru and disciple with expressive eyes, flat pigment fields in red/yellow/green, prominent lamp and water pot as symbols, wall-mural compositional clarity emphasizing dharmic motive.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: framed vignette with floral borders, lamp motifs and lotus creepers, central act of receiving prasāda with restraint, decorative vessels, peacocks in corners subdued, deep blue background with gold accents to sanctify everyday discipline."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["low bell chime","wooden floor creak","water poured into a pot","soft mantra hum","even silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गुरूच्छिष्टं=guru+ucchiṣṭam; भेषजान्नं=bheṣaja-annam; नाचरेद्धि=na+ācaret+hi
FAQs
It cautions against consuming a guru’s leftovers or food treated as medicine merely for pleasure, implying such acts require proper purpose and discipline rather than indulgence.
It criticizes bathing performed only as a physical cleansing act (mere dirt-removal), pointing toward a view of snāna as a sacred, rule-governed practice rather than just hygiene.
Self-restraint: actions connected with purity, food, and ritual should be governed by dharma and right intention, not by craving or casual habit.