Shloka 71
Teaching of Karma-yoga
Student Conduct, Vedic Study, and Gāyatrī Supremacy
उच्छिष्टः श्राद्धभुक्चैव मनसापि न चिंतयेत् । प्रतिगृह्य द्विजो विद्वानेकोद्दिष्टस्य वेतनम्
ucchiṣṭaḥ śrāddhabhukcaiva manasāpi na ciṃtayet | pratigṛhya dvijo vidvānekoddiṣṭasya vetanam
แม้อยู่ในภาวะอุจฉิษฏะ (มัวหมองด้วยเศษอาหาร) และแม้ได้ฉันภัตตาหารศราทธะแล้ว พราหมณ์ผู้รู้ไม่พึงลังเลแม้ในใจ; เมื่อรับแล้วพึงรับค่าตอบแทนแห่งพิธีเอก็อดทิษฏะ
Unspecified (context-dependent within Svargakhaṇḍa Adhyaya 53)
Concept: Ritual duty (ṛtvij-dharma) should be performed without inner doubt; accepting dakṣiṇā for a properly conducted ekoddiṣṭa śrāddha is not a moral stain even if one is technically ucciṣṭa or has eaten śrāddha food.
Application: When serving in religious/community roles, avoid paralyzing scruples after accepting a legitimate responsibility; complete the duty with clean intention, then restore external purity by proper ācamana and śauca.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a lamp-lit household shrine, a śrāddha is underway: kusa grass, sesame, and water vessels arranged with meticulous order. A learned brāhmaṇa, calm and composed, accepts dakṣiṇā with a steady gaze while the householder offers with folded hands, ancestors suggested as faint, benevolent silhouettes in the background.","primary_figures":["learned brāhmaṇa (śrāddha-bhuk)","gṛhastha householder","pitṛs (ancestral presences, subtle)"],"setting":"Domestic altar space with a low wooden platform, kusa grass, piṇḍa offerings, sesame, water pot (kalaśa), and oil lamps.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["warm amber","copper brown","ivory white","sacred vermilion","smoky charcoal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a śrāddha scene with the brāhmaṇa seated on a mat, accepting dakṣiṇā from a gṛhastha; gold leaf on lamp flames, halo-like radiance around the ritual space, ornate borders, rich reds/greens, gem-like highlights on vessels and ornaments, traditional South Indian domestic shrine iconography.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate indoor ritual with delicate lines—kusa, piṇḍas, and small brass lamps; refined faces showing composure and reverence; muted earth tones with a soft glow, patterned textiles, and a faint, poetic suggestion of pitṛs in the background haze.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined figures of brāhmaṇa and householder, stylized ritual objects (kalaśa, lamps, kusa) arranged symmetrically; natural pigments with dominant reds/yellows/greens; large expressive eyes conveying steadiness and dharmic resolve.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional reinterpretation—Vishnu’s presence implied as a subtle central lotus medallion above the śrāddha platform, with ornate floral borders; deep blues and gold accents; ritual objects rendered as decorative motifs, peacocks and lotuses framing the sanctified domestic space."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft mantra murmurs","oil lamp crackle","gentle bell","still indoor silence","occasional water pouring"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: श्राद्धभुक्चैव = श्राद्धभुक् + च + एव; मनसापि = मनसा + अपि; विद्वानेकोद्दिष्टस्य = विद्वान् + एकोद्दिष्टस्य (final -न् before vowel); ekoddiṣṭa treated as एक + उद्दिष्ट (karmadhāraya).
FAQs
An ekoddiṣṭa is a śrāddha performed with offerings directed to one specific departed person (a single pitr), rather than to multiple ancestors collectively.
It emphasizes that accepting the ritual honorarium (dakṣiṇā/vetanam) for properly performed śrāddha duties is legitimate and should not be treated as morally suspect when done according to dharma.
It frames remuneration for dharmic ritual service as acceptable, urging clarity of conscience and avoidance of needless scruples when one has acted rightly within the prescribed tradition.