Shloka 19
Teaching on Karma-yoga
Discipline of Action as Worship
धारयेद्वैणवपालाशौ दंडौ केशांतिकौ द्विजः । यज्ञार्हवृक्षजं वाथ सौम्यमव्रणमेव च
dhārayedvaiṇavapālāśau daṃḍau keśāṃtikau dvijaḥ | yajñārhavṛkṣajaṃ vātha saumyamavraṇameva ca
ทวิชะพึงถือไม้เท้าสองอัน ทำด้วยไม้ไผ่หรือไม้ปาลาศะ สูงถึงปลายมวยผมของตน หรือจะถือไม้เท้าที่ทำจากไม้แห่งต้นซึ่งเหมาะแก่ยัญพิธี—อ่อนโยนและปราศจากตำหนิ
Unspecified (context not provided; likely a narrator prescribing ritual conduct)
Concept: External disciplines (proper staff, unblemished sacrificial wood) support internal steadiness and eligibility for yajña and daily rites.
Application: Choose tools and habits that reinforce your values—simple, clean, and fit for purpose; avoid ‘blemished’ means that compromise integrity.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dvija with neatly tied śikhā stands beside a small sacrificial enclosure, holding two slender staffs—one of bamboo, one of palāśa—each reaching to the end of his hair. The wood appears smooth and unscarred, suggesting ‘avraṇa’ purity, while a palāśa tree with orange blossoms glows in the background.","primary_figures":["dvija (brahmacārin or disciplined householder)","ācārya (optional, observing)"],"setting":"edge of an āśrama near a yajña-vedi, palāśa grove and bamboo thicket nearby","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["palāśa orange","bamboo green","smoke gray","sand beige","copper brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dvija holding twin staffs (bamboo and palāśa) before a stylized yajña-vedi, gold leaf accents on the altar and staff tips, rich crimson and green garments, ornate vessel details, symmetrical composition with decorative arch and floral borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: slender figure with refined features holding two staffs, palāśa blossoms painted with delicate stippling, cool greens and soft browns, gentle smoke from a small fire, lyrical landscape with fine-line foliage.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, flat yet vibrant pigments, dvija with prominent eyes and stylized śikhā, staffs rendered as clean vertical motifs, palāśa tree as a rhythmic pattern of orange blooms, temple-wall compositional balance.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central dvija figure framed by ornate floral borders, palāśa blossoms and bamboo leaves forming a decorative canopy, deep blue ground with gold highlights, ritual vessels and small altar motifs arranged symmetrically."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["crackling fire","wooden staff tap","wind in bamboo","distant conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धारयेद्वैणवपालाशौ = धारयेत् + वैणवपालाशौ; वाथ = वा + अथ; सौम्यमव्रणमेव = सौम्यम् + अव्रणम् + एव.
FAQs
It prescribes the proper type and condition of a ritual staff (daṇḍa) to be carried by a dvija: bamboo or palāśa, or other yajña-suitable wood, and it should be unblemished and auspicious.
It indicates the staff’s measure/extent—described as reaching up to the end of the hair, commonly understood as up to the head/topknot level, i.e., a prescribed length for propriety.
It emphasizes that ritual implements should be auspicious, non-harsh, and physically free of defects—reflecting the broader dharmic principle that purity and suitability of materials support the sanctity of rites.