Shloka 83
The Five Great Sacrifices: Supremacy of Honoring Parents, Pativrata Dharma, Truthfulness, and Śrāddha
तच्चोपदेशमादाय गच्छ धर्माकरं प्रति । बकस्य मरणे दोषं खे च वस्त्राविशोषणम्
taccopadeśamādāya gaccha dharmākaraṃ prati | bakasya maraṇe doṣaṃ khe ca vastrāviśoṣaṇam
เมื่อรับคำสั่งสอนนั้นแล้ว จงไปหา ธรรมากร; ที่นั่นเจ้าจะรู้ถึงโทษที่เกิดจากการตายของนกกระสา และกฎว่าด้วยการตากผ้าไว้ใต้ท้องฟ้าเปิด
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses).
Concept: Dharma is subtle and case-based: even small acts (killing a crane; drying clothes in open sky) can carry moral fault depending on context and intention.
Application: Treat ‘minor’ actions as spiritually consequential; ask qualified guidance when unsure; cultivate non-harm and cleanliness in ordinary routines.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher points the seeker onward along a dusty road toward a distant hermitage-town named Dharmākara, as if sending him to a mine of ethical nuance. In the foreground, symbolic vignettes appear: a crane lying still near a pond’s edge, and freshly washed garments fluttering on a line under the open sky—everyday scenes charged with moral consequence.","primary_figures":["guiding teacher","seeker/traveler","symbolic crane","washerwoman/householder (optional vignette)"],"setting":"roadside outside a settlement; pond with reeds; clothesline or rooftop terrace under wide sky","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sky blue","clay brown","reed green","white cotton","sunlit gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a directive scene with the teacher gesturing toward ‘Dharmākara’; gold leaf on the sun and borders; include symbolic crane near a lotus pond and garments drying under open sky; ornate costumes and traditional architecture; moral symbolism rendered with devotional grandeur.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a travel instruction tableau with winding path, delicate landscape, and two small figures in conversation; include tiny narrative inserts—a crane by water and garments on a terrace; cool natural palette and refined linework.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined figures; teacher’s pointing hand emphasized; stylized pond and crane; garments as rhythmic white shapes against blue sky; warm pigment blocks and temple-wall composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative border filled with lotus and reed motifs; central panel shows the pointing teacher and traveler; side medallions depict the crane episode and the sky-drying garments; deep blue and gold accents with intricate floral filigree."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["footsteps on earth","wind through cloth","water ripples","distant bell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: taccopadeśamādāya = tat + ca + upadeśam + ādāya; dharmākaraṃ = dharma-ākaraṃ; vastrāviśoṣaṇam = vastra + aviśoṣaṇam.
FAQs
In this verse, Dharmākara appears as a figure or locus associated with dharma—someone (or a place) to be approached for authoritative guidance on ethical fault (doṣa) and proper conduct. The precise identification depends on the surrounding narrative context.
The verse frames a specific case-study in dharma: the doṣa (moral/ritual fault) connected with causing the death of a baka (crane/heron). Purāṇic dharma discussions often teach ethics through concrete examples of harm and its consequences.
The implied lesson is that dharma is learned through disciplined inquiry and adherence to guidance: one should seek proper instruction about the consequences of harming living beings and about everyday conduct, even in seemingly minor matters.