Shloka 81
Teaching of Karma-yoga
Student Conduct, Vedic Study, and Gāyatrī Supremacy
उपाकर्म्मणि होमांते होममध्ये तथैव च । एकामृचमथैकं वा यजुः सामानि वा पुनः
upākarmmaṇi homāṃte homamadhye tathaiva ca | ekāmṛcamathaikaṃ vā yajuḥ sāmāni vā punaḥ
ఉపాకర్మలో హోమాంతంలోను హోమమధ్యంలోను—ఒక ఋక్ మంత్రం పఠించాలి; లేదా ఒక యజుః మంత్రం, లేక మళ్లీ సామగానం చేయాలి.
Unspecified narrator (context-dependent within Adhyaya 53; not stated in the provided verse).
Concept: Ritual efficacy depends on correct placement of mantra: even a single Ṛk/Yajus/Sāman, properly timed within the homa, sustains continuity of Vedic sanctity.
Application: In any daily practice, keep one ‘core mantra’ and place it consistently at key transitions (start/middle/end) to stabilize attention and intention.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a neatly drawn yajña-vedi, the sacred fire rises in steady tongues as a priestly student recites a single mantra at the midpoint of the offering, then again at the conclusion. The air shimmers with heat; ladles, kuśa grass, and palm-leaf manuscripts lie arranged with meticulous symmetry, suggesting the quiet grandeur of Vedic order.","primary_figures":["brahmacārin or young adhvaryu","homa-agni (personified fire)","optional: subtle Veda-deities as luminous syllables"],"setting":"Ritual courtyard with a square altar, kuṇḍa fire, vessels (sruc/sruva), kuśa bundles, and a low wooden seat for recitation.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["fire-amber","ash-white","copper bronze","sandalwood beige","vermillion red"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central homa-kuṇḍa with stylized flames, a young ritualist chanting one Ṛk/Yajus/Sāman at the homa’s midpoint and end; gold leaf flames and haloed mantra-scroll motifs, rich crimson-green textiles, ornate ritual vessels with gem-like highlights, symmetrical South Indian altar geometry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate yajña scene with delicate brushwork—small square fire altar, thin smoke curling into the sky, a youthful priest in white with a manuscript; cool earthen tones, refined facial features, minimalistic yet lyrical depiction of mantra as faint golden script in the air.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized fire deity emerging from the flames, the chanter seated in profile with large expressive eyes; red-yellow-green palette, decorative borders of lotus and creepers, temple-wall compositional balance.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate border of lotuses and sacred symbols; central homa fire with gold accents, mantra syllables rendered as decorative motifs; deep blue background with warm fire glow, peacocks and floral arabesques framing the ritual precision."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["crackling fire","soft mantra drone","wooden ladle taps","temple bells","controlled silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: होमांते = होम-अन्ते; होममध्ये = होम-मध्ये; तथैव = तथा + एव; एकामृचम् = एकाम् + ऋचम्; अथैकम् = अथ + एकम्.
FAQs
It gives a procedural rule for the Upākarman ceremony, specifying what may be recited during a homa—both mid-offering and at the completion.
The verse allows a single Ṛk (Rigvedic verse), or a Yajus formula (Yajurvedic), or Sāman chants (Samavedic) to be recited at the stated points in the homa.
It emphasizes concise, rule-governed recitation: even a single appropriate Vedic unit (Ṛk/Yajus/Sāman) is considered sufficient when performed at the correct ritual moments.