Shloka 14
Prohibitions and Rules of Right Conduct (Ācāra): Theft, Speech, Purity, Residence, and Social Boundaries
याचनं योनिसंबंधं सहवासं च भाषणम् । कुर्वाणः पतते नित्यं तस्माद्यत्नेन वर्जयेत्
yācanaṃ yonisaṃbaṃdhaṃ sahavāsaṃ ca bhāṣaṇam | kurvāṇaḥ patate nityaṃ tasmādyatnena varjayet
యాచన, యోనిసంబంధం (కామసంబంధం), సహవాసం, అంతరంగ సంభాషణ—ఇవన్నీ చేసేవాడు నిత్యం పతనమవుతాడు; కాబట్టి వీటిని యత్నపూర్వకంగా వర్జించాలి.
Unspecified (narratorial/ethical instruction within Svarga-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Guarding the senses—especially speech and sexual conduct—prevents spiritual downfall.
Application: Avoid manipulative asking/begging, flirtatious or intimate talk that erodes boundaries, and situations of cohabitation/association that inflame desire; cultivate deliberate avoidance (yatnena) and substitute with satsanga and regulated habits.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A contemplative sage stands at a crossroads where four shadowy paths—solicitation, illicit intimacy, cohabitation, and seductive speech—descend into a misty chasm labeled ‘patana’. On the safe path, a lamp of discernment glows as the sage turns away, holding a japa-mālā and a lotus, symbolizing deliberate restraint.","primary_figures":["a dharma-upadeśaka ṛṣi (teacher-sage)","a cautious gṛhastha seeker (listener figure)","allegorical shadow-forms of temptation"],"setting":"A liminal forest-edge near a small hermitage with a tulasī planter and a simple altar to Viṣṇu; a forked path leading toward light and toward fog.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled transitioning into divine radiance on the restrained path","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","smoky indigo","lamp-flame amber","leaf green","lotus pink"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a central sage with serene face holding japa-mālā and lotus, standing before a small Viṣṇu altar; to one side, four dark vignette-panels show temptation motifs (coins for solicitation, entwined silhouettes for illicit union, a shared bed for cohabitation, whispering mouths for intimate speech) fading into a chasm; heavy gold leaf halo around the sage and the altar lamp, rich crimson and emerald borders, gem-studded ornaments on the altar, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet Himalayan hermitage scene with delicate brushwork; the seeker at a forked path, one path bright with a small Viṣṇu shrine and tulasī pot, the other path dissolving into bluish mist with faint silhouettes of temptation; refined facial features, lyrical trees and distant hills, cool palette with warm lamp accents.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; the sage in ochre and green near a stylized shrine lamp, with four symbolic temptation emblems arranged as a cautionary mandala; large expressive eyes, temple-wall aesthetic, red-yellow-green dominance with indigo shadows.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a devotional courtyard with lotus motifs and ornate floral borders; a small Viṣṇu symbol (śaṅkha-cakra) above a tulasī planter; the ‘avoidance’ theme shown through four decorative but subdued panels of temptation outside the central sanctified space; deep blues and gold, intricate vines, peacocks kept at the border to suggest vigilance."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","even japa murmurs","forest birds","gentle silence between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: योनिसंबंधं = योनि-सम्बन्धम्; तस्माद्यत्नेन = तस्मात् यत्नेन.
FAQs
It warns against solicitation (importuning), sexual association, cohabitation, and intimate or tempting conversation, presenting them as causes of moral/spiritual decline.
The verse emphasizes vigilant self-restraint: avoid situations and behaviors that trigger attachment and loss of discipline, and do so intentionally (yatnena).
It functions as practical caution—identifying common gateways to downfall and recommending deliberate avoidance as a protective discipline.