Shloka 54
Teaching on Karma-yoga
Discipline of Action as Worship
यत्र स्युः सोऽत्र मानार्हः शूद्रोऽपि दशमीं गतः । पंथा देयो ब्राह्मणाय स्त्रियै राज्ञे विचक्षुषे
yatra syuḥ so'tra mānārhaḥ śūdro'pi daśamīṃ gataḥ | paṃthā deyo brāhmaṇāya striyai rājñe vicakṣuṣe
ไม่ว่าอยู่แห่งใด ผู้นั้นในที่นั้นย่อมควรแก่การยกย่อง—แม้เป็นศูทรผู้ถึงขั้นที่สิบก็ตาม ควรหลีกทางให้พราหมณ์ ให้สตรี ให้พระราชา และให้ผู้มีปัญญาไตร่ตรอง
Unspecified (context-dependent within Svarga-khaṇḍa narrative)
Concept: Honor is due wherever virtue/attainment is present; even a Śūdra who has reached a high stage is to be respected. One should yield the way to brāhmaṇas, women, kings, and the discerning.
Application: Practice everyday civility: yield space, prioritize safety and dignity, and honor wisdom/virtue over ego; treat spiritual maturity as worthy of respect beyond social labels.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sunlit road leading to a temple gateway where travelers pause respectfully: a brāhmaṇa with staff and waterpot, a veiled woman, a crowned king with attendants, and a sharp-eyed scholar. The central figure steps aside with folded hands, illustrating the ethic of yielding the path and honoring discernment and attainment.","primary_figures":["brāhmaṇa pilgrim","woman traveler","king (rājā)","learned discerning person (vicakṣuṣ)","householder yielding the path"],"setting":"Temple approach road with stone steps, gateway torana, roadside tulasī planter and small shrine, pilgrims moving in orderly flow.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["stone gray","marigold saffron","royal blue","white cotton","copper gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: temple gateway procession scene—brāhmaṇa with kamaṇḍalu, dignified woman, jeweled king, and a scholar with manuscript; a devotee yields the path with añjali; gold leaf on crowns, halos, and temple ornaments, rich reds/greens, embossed borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical temple road with delicate figures and gentle gestures of deference, cool blues and warm saffron accents, refined faces; distant hills and trees, subtle architectural torana, and a calm pilgrim flow.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized procession near a temple entrance, bold outlines, expressive eyes, clear hand gestures of yielding; red/yellow/green pigments, ornamental temple motifs, and rhythmic figure spacing.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: processional composition framed by lotus and floral borders, deep blue ground with gold highlights; temple torana at center, peacocks on either side, figures arranged symmetrically to show honoring and right-of-way."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["footsteps on stone","temple bells","murmured japa","conch shell (distant)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सोऽत्र = सः + अत्र; शूद्रोऽपि = शूद्रः + अपि
FAQs
It teaches dharmic etiquette: honor is due based on worthiness and conduct, and one should yield the way to socially protected or respected persons (a Brāhmaṇa, a woman, a king) and to a discerning person.
It emphasizes that genuine merit or attainment can make a person worthy of honor regardless of birth-status, highlighting a conduct/attainment-based dimension of respect within dharma discourse.
Yielding the path is a practical marker of humility and social order in traditional dharma texts—showing deference to learning/spiritual status (Brāhmaṇa), protection and courtesy (woman), authority (king), and wise judgment (the discerning).