Shloka 12
Teaching on Karma-yoga
Discipline of Action as Worship
वसेदविकृतं वासः कार्पासं वा कषायकम् । तदेव परिधानीयं शुक्लं तांतवमुत्तमम्
vasedavikṛtaṃ vāsaḥ kārpāsaṃ vā kaṣāyakam | tadeva paridhānīyaṃ śuklaṃ tāṃtavamuttamam
พึงนุ่งห่มผ้าเรียบง่ายไม่ประดับ—เป็นผ้าฝ้าย หรือผ้าย้อมสีคษายะ (สีหม่น/สีโอเคร) อันสมถะ แท้จริงพึงนุ่งห่มแต่ผ้าขาวบริสุทธิ์อันประเสริฐ ที่ทอด้วยเส้นด้ายชั้นดี
Unspecified (contextual narrator/instructor within Svarga-khaṇḍa dialogue)
Concept: Wear simple, unadorned garments—cotton or modest ochre; prefer excellent white woven cloth—linking external simplicity to inner purity and ritual readiness.
Application: Choose simplicity over display; keep daily life ‘ritual-ready’ through cleanliness, modesty, and minimalism—especially during worship, fasting days, or study.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene dvija prepares for daily worship, selecting plain white woven cloth from a simple wooden chest while an ochre garment hangs nearby—options of household purity and ascetic restraint. The room is uncluttered: a brass water pot, a small lamp, and neatly folded textiles convey the quiet dignity of regulated living.","primary_figures":["dvija practitioner (householder or student)"],"setting":"Minimal domestic prayer room with folded cloth, brass lota, lamp, and a small altar niche","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["pure white","soft ochre","brass gold","warm beige","shadow umber"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: calm interior shrine scene, figure draped in pristine white cloth, brass vessels and lamp with gold leaf highlights, ornate border but simple garments, rich warm background reds/greens subdued to emphasize purity, embossed gold on lamp flame and textile edges.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: quiet domestic chamber with delicate textile folds, soft morning light, restrained palette, refined facial serenity, subtle patterns on white cloth, a hint of garden greenery through a window.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, flat pigments, figure holding folded white cloth near a lamp-lit altar, red-yellow-green palette with strong white emphasis, decorative mural borders framing the simplicity theme.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central figure in white before a small altar, surrounded by lotus and floral borders, peacocks in corners, deep blue background with gold accents on lamp and textile motifs, intricate but thematically ‘pure’ composition."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft water pouring","lamp being lit","morning birds","gentle bell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vasedavikṛtam → vaset avikṛtam; tadeva → tat eva; tāṃtavamuttamam → tāṃtavam uttamam.
FAQs
It recommends simple, unadorned clothing—especially cotton or an ochre-dyed garment—emphasizing restraint and purity.
They commonly signify simplicity, cleanliness, and detachment; ochre especially is associated with renunciation and disciplined living.
The verse promotes modesty and non-excess: external simplicity supports inner discipline and a sattvic (pure, calm) way of life.