Shloka 44
Prohibitions and Rules of Right Conduct (Ācāra): Theft, Speech, Purity, Residence, and Social Boundaries
नास्तं यांतं न वारिस्थं नोपस्पृष्टं न मध्यगम् । तिरोहितं समीक्षेत नादर्शाद्यनुगामिनम्
nāstaṃ yāṃtaṃ na vāristhaṃ nopaspṛṣṭaṃ na madhyagam | tirohitaṃ samīkṣeta nādarśādyanugāminam
อย่ามองดวงอาทิตย์ยามอัสดง ยามกำลังเคลื่อนตามวิถี ยามสะท้อนในน้ำ ยามถูกสัมผัสจนมัวหมอง/ถูกเมฆบัง หรือยามอยู่กลางฟ้าเหนือศีรษะ. เมื่อถูกปิดบัง (เช่น คราส) ก็อย่าจ้อง; อย่าตามด้วยสายตา; และอย่าดูผ่านกระจกหรือสิ่งทำนองนั้น.
Unspecified (contextual narrator/instructor in Svargakhaṇḍa 55)
Concept: Indriya-nigraha (sense-restraint) and ritual propriety: sacred powers (like Surya) are approached with maryada, not casual gaze.
Application: Avoid compulsive staring (screens, glare, sensational sights); cultivate mindful seeing—look with purpose, not with craving or negligence; keep daily routines (sandhya, cleanliness) that stabilize attention.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A disciplined brahmacarin stands at a riverbank during twilight, hands folded, deliberately averting his gaze from the low, crimson sun touching the horizon. Thin clouds veil the disc; a polished bronze mirror lies face-down beside a water pot, symbolizing restraint from reflected glare.","primary_figures":["brahmacarin/vaidika practitioner","Surya (as radiant orb, not anthropomorphic)"],"setting":"riverbank sandhya setting with kusa grass seat, kamandalu, and a small altar stone","lighting_mood":"golden dusk with restrained, softened radiance","color_palette":["crimson vermilion","burnished gold","indigo twilight","sandalwood beige","river-silver"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a twilight sandhya scene on a riverbank; the practitioner in white dhoti and angavastra averts eyes from the setting Surya; ornate gold-leaf halo around the sun-disc, gem-studded ritual vessels, rich maroon and emerald borders, traditional South Indian iconographic detailing, subtle cloud veils and a face-down mirror as symbolic object.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical riverbank at dusk with delicate brushwork; a slim ascetic seated on kusa grass, head slightly turned away from the red sun at the horizon; cool indigo sky gradients, fine reeds and birds, gentle ripples reflecting faint light, refined facial features and understated devotional posture.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; stylized riverbank with ritual implements; Surya as a radiant circular mandala in ochre and gold; the practitioner shown in profile with averted gaze, large expressive eyes, temple-wall aesthetic with red/yellow/green dominance and rhythmic cloud motifs.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Surya as a decorative mandala above a lotus-filled water body; devotee figure at the lower edge performing sandhya with averted gaze; intricate floral borders, lotus motifs, deep blues and gold accents, peacocks at the margins, devotional restraint conveyed through posture and symbolic mirror turned away."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["evening temple bell","distant conch","soft river flow","crickets","brief silence between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nāstaṃ → na astam; yāṃtaṃ → yāntam; nोपस्पृष्टं → na upaspṛṣṭam; samīkṣeta nādarśād y-anugāminam → samīkṣeta na ādarśāt anugāminam (y- is sandhi glide).
FAQs
It regulates Sūrya-darśana (gazing at the sun), listing conditions under which one should avoid looking at the sun directly or indirectly (e.g., via reflection).
It extends the prohibition to indirect viewing through reflections—water (vāristha) and mirror-like surfaces (ādarśa-ādi)—not only direct gazing.
It emphasizes disciplined self-restraint in daily conduct (ācāra), teaching careful regulation of the senses and attentiveness to purity and proper timing in religious life.