Shloka 63
The Glory of Guru-Tīrtha: The Guru as Supreme Pilgrimage
Prelude: Cyavana and the Parable Cycle
महाधिव्याधिना ग्रस्तस्त्यागं कृत्वा प्रयाति च । प्रव्राजितो भवेद्राजन्धर्मशास्त्रेषु दृश्यते
mahādhivyādhinā grastastyāgaṃ kṛtvā prayāti ca | pravrājito bhavedrājandharmaśāstreṣu dṛśyate
หากผู้ใดถูกครอบงำด้วยโรคร้ายแรงและยากจะเยียวยา ครั้นสละโลกแล้ว ย่อมออกบวชจาริกได้ ข้าแต่พระราชา ข้อนี้ปรากฏในคัมภีร์ธรรมศาสตร์
Unspecified (instructional narrator addressing a king)
Concept: When afflicted by incurable illness, renunciation (pravrajyā/sannyāsa-like departure) is recognized by dharmaśāstra as a legitimate, dignified course.
Application: In times of irreversible decline, prioritize spiritual clarity: simplify obligations, cultivate remembrance of God, settle duties ethically, and seek a peaceful, non-clinging end.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A gravely ill noble lies on a simple cot, while a calm ascetic gestures toward the open road beyond the palace gate—symbolizing sanctioned renunciation. The scene balances compassion with serenity: attendants withdraw, leaving space for prayer, detachment, and the quiet dignity of departure.","primary_figures":["ailing householder","wandering ascetic (pravrājaka)","king (as addressed)","attendants (subdued)"],"setting":"palace threshold opening to a forest path; minimal ritual objects—water pot, staff, begging bowl—signaling pravrajyā","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["pale sandalwood","ash gray","soft saffron","sky blue","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a poignant threshold scene—an ascetic with staff and kamaṇḍalu stands near a palace doorway, advising a weakened householder; gold leaf highlights on doorway carvings and ascetic’s halo-like aura; rich maroons and greens contrasted with austere whites, emphasizing renunciation’s sanctity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tender, quiet composition—soft dawn light, a forest path beyond the palace, the ascetic’s gentle hand gesture, the ill man’s resigned gaze; delicate brushwork, muted pastels, lyrical trees and distant hills, refined emotional subtlety.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized figures with expressive eyes—ascetic in ochre, householder reclining, attendants in restrained poses; bold outlines, flat pigments, temple-wall solemnity, symbolic forest motifs at the border.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: renunciation framed by lotus and vine borders; a central doorway motif opening to a stylized grove with peacocks; deep blue ground with gold accents, emphasizing the spiritual ‘exit’ from worldly life."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["silence","soft tanpura drone","distant birds","gentle wind through leaves"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ग्रस्तस्त्यागम् = ग्रस्तः त्यागम्; भवेद्राजन् = भवेत् राजन्; राजन्धर्मशास्त्रेषु = राजन् धर्मशास्त्रेषु
FAQs
It describes being seized by a severe, difficult-to-cure illness as a situation in which one may renounce worldly life and go forth.
It explicitly states that such a course is found in the Dharmaśāstras, indicating it is recognized within normative legal-ethical tradition.
The verse frames renunciation not as escapism but as a dharmically sanctioned response to extreme bodily limitation—turning toward detachment and spiritual focus when ordinary duties can no longer be sustained.