Shloka 3
Dharma of the Renunciant: Alms Discipline, Meditation, and Expiations
सप्तागारं चरेद्भैक्ष्यमलाभे न पुनश्चरेत् । गोदोहमात्रं तिष्ठेत कालं भिक्षुरधोमुखः
saptāgāraṃ caredbhaikṣyamalābhe na punaścaret | godohamātraṃ tiṣṭheta kālaṃ bhikṣuradhomukhaḥ
พึงแสวงภิกษาที่เรือนเจ็ดหลัง; หากไม่ได้ก็ไม่พึงไปอีก ภิกษุพึงยืนเพียงเท่าเวลาที่ใช้รีดนมโค โดยก้มหน้าลง
Unspecified (didactic injunction within Svargakhaṇḍa 60; speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Concept: A bhikṣu must keep the alms-round strictly bounded (seven houses, no second attempt) and minimize social presence (brief stay, downcast gaze) to protect inner solitude.
Application: Practice ‘limited attempts’ and ‘time-boxing’; accept outcomes without second-guessing; cultivate modest body language that reduces ego-display.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A mendicant moves from door to door, counting silently on his fingers until seven, then stops. Receiving nothing, he turns away without agitation and sits under a tree, face lowered, waiting only the brief ‘cow-milking’ span—his stillness contrasting with the village’s motion.","primary_figures":["Bhikṣu (mendicant)","Village householders (background)"],"setting":"Village edge with seven modest homes; a shaded tree or small shrine platform where the bhikṣu pauses briefly.","lighting_mood":"soft overcast calm","color_palette":["ash gray","saffron","mud brown","pale sky blue","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: bhikṣu with tri-daṇḍa and bowl before a row of seven stylized houses; gold-leaf accents on thresholds and halo; the ‘cow-milking’ time shown by a small vignette of a cow being milked in the corner; rich ornamental borders, devotional austerity rendered with regal finish.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle village panorama with seven doorways; bhikṣu’s lowered face and minimal gesture; a small cow-milking scene in the background as a time-metaphor; cool, delicate palette and lyrical restraint.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: rhythmic sequence of seven houses; bhikṣu seated under a tree with downcast gaze; cow-milking motif as symbolic panel; bold outlines, earthy pigments, didactic clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: border of seven arch-shaped doorframes; central bhikṣu in saffron seated beneath stylized lotus-tree; small cow and milk pot motif indicating the time limit; deep blue ground with gold and white detailing, intricate floral borders."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["distant cow lowing","soft footsteps","wind through leaves","village hush","single bell chime"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: caredbhaikṣyam = caret + bhaikṣyam (t + bh → dbh); bhaikṣyamalābhe = bhaikṣyam + alābhe (m + a- sandhi); punaścaret = punaḥ + caret (visarga sandhi: ḥ + c → ś c).
FAQs
It teaches restraint and non-importunity: the bhikṣu should not burden householders or become driven by hunger into repeated solicitation.
It is a traditional short unit of time—roughly the time required to milk a cow—used to indicate that the mendicant should not linger.
It signals humility, self-control, and avoidance of distraction or social entanglement while seeking alms.