Shloka 161
Puṣkara Mahatmya: Brahmā’s Lotus-Tīrtha, Sacrifice, Initiation, and Kṣetra-Dharma
पुलस्त्य उवाच । नरैः स्त्रीभिश्च वस्तव्यं वर्णाश्रमनिवासिभिः । स्वधर्माचारनिरतैर्दंभमोहविवर्जितैः
pulastya uvāca | naraiḥ strībhiśca vastavyaṃ varṇāśramanivāsibhiḥ | svadharmācāraniratairdaṃbhamohavivarjitaiḥ
Sinabi ni Pulastya: Ang mga lalaki at babae na nananahan sa mga kaayusan ng varṇa at āśrama ay mamuhay na tapat sa pagsasagawa ng sariling dharma, malaya sa pagkukunwari at pagkalito.
Pulastya
Concept: Live within one’s varṇa-āśrama duties with sincerity, abandoning hypocrisy (dambha) and delusion (moha).
Application: Audit motives daily: do duties (family, work, worship) without showmanship; reduce self-deception by simple vows—truthful speech, consistent routine, and quiet service.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene āśrama courtyard at dawn: men and women of different āśramas quietly perform their svadharma—study, tending sacred fire, caring for elders, and offering water—without any theatrical display. A sage observes with calm approval, while a faint aura suggests that sincerity itself becomes worship.","primary_figures":["Pulastya","householders (gṛhastha couple)","brahmacārin student","vānaprastha elder","sannyāsin mendicant"],"setting":"Forest hermitage with yajña-śālā, tulasī planter near the threshold, and a simple riverbank path in the background","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","leaf green","saffron ochre","smoke gray","soft lotus pink"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Pulastya seated on a low wooden āsana in a forest āśrama, right hand in teaching mudrā; around him small vignettes of varṇāśrama duties—study, agnihotra, service to elders—rendered as narrative panels; heavy gold leaf halo around the sage, rich vermilion and emerald garments, gem-studded ornaments on ritual vessels, crisp South Indian iconographic symmetry, ornate floral borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet Himalayan-forest hermitage scene with delicate brushwork; Pulastya under a flowering tree, disciples and householders performing simple duties without ostentation; cool greens and pale blues, lyrical naturalism, refined faces, distant hills and a thin river ribbon, minimal architecture, emphasis on calm ethical mood.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; Pulastya with large expressive eyes and stylized hair, teaching about adambha; surrounding figures in simplified poses of service and study; warm red-yellow-green palette, temple-wall aesthetic, patterned textiles, sacred fire rendered as rhythmic flame motifs.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional courtyard with lotus and creeper borders; central sage-teacher framed by floral arches; attendants performing seva-like duties as if offerings; peacocks and cows at the periphery, deep indigo background with gold highlights, intricate white floral filigree suggesting purity and non-hypocrisy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","morning birds","gentle fire crackle","light breeze through leaves","brief silence between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पुलस्त्य उवाच→पुलस्त्यः उवाच (visarga before vowel); स्त्रीभिश्च→स्त्रीभिः च; स्वधर्माचारनिरतैर्दंभमोहविवर्जितैः→स्वधर्माचारनिरतैः दंभमोहविवर्जितैः (ः + द→र्द् sandhi)
FAQs
It instructs people—both men and women—living within the varṇa-āśrama framework to practice their own prescribed duties sincerely, without hypocrisy (dambha) or delusion (moha).
Ethical living is presented as steady adherence to one’s own dharma in action and character (ācāra), coupled with inner integrity—freedom from pretence and mental confusion.
It emphasizes both, but prioritizes inner attitude: even correct conduct should be performed without hypocrisy and delusion, making sincerity and clarity essential to dharmic life.