Shloka 23
The Five Great Sacrifices: Supremacy of Honoring Parents, Pativrata Dharma, Truthfulness, and Śrāddha
स्वपितरावनादृत्य गतोसौ तीर्थसेवया । ततः सर्वाणि तीर्थानि गच्छतो ब्राह्मणस्य च
svapitarāvanādṛtya gatosau tīrthasevayā | tataḥ sarvāṇi tīrthāni gacchato brāhmaṇasya ca
اپنے ماں باپ کی ناقدری کر کے وہ تیرتھوں کی سیوا کے لیے نکل گیا۔ پھر وہ برہمن ایک تیرتھ سے دوسرے تیرتھ کی طرف جاتا رہا۔
Narrator (contextual speaker not specified in the provided excerpt)
Concept: Pilgrimage without honoring parents is spiritually flawed; movement across tīrthas cannot substitute for neglected seva at home.
Application: Before undertaking religious travel, ensure dependents/parents are cared for; practice ‘home-tīrtha’—daily respectful service—as the first pilgrimage.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Narottama strides along a dusty road lined with milestone shrines, his gaze fixed on distant river-ghāṭas, while behind him his parents stand at the doorway of a humble home, hands half-raised as if to call him back. The road forks into many tīrtha paths, symbolizing restless religiosity that forgets the nearest duty.","primary_figures":["Narottama (brāhmaṇa pilgrim)","aged mother","aged father","wayfarers and shrine-keepers (minor)"],"setting":"village edge with a small hut, branching pilgrimage road, distant temple spires and riverbank steps hinted on the horizon","lighting_mood":"late afternoon—long shadows of consequence","color_palette":["dusty umber","faded white","temple-gold","stormy violet","banyan green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: narrative departure scene—Narottama in white dhoti with kamandalu and staff stepping onto a pilgrimage road; parents at the threshold with sorrowful faces; multiple small shrine icons along the road; gold leaf on temple spires and halos, rich maroon-green background, ornate border framing the moral tension.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: poignant village-edge composition—slender Narottama walking away, parents near a simple doorway; delicate trees, distant river-ghat and temple spire; cool atmospheric perspective, refined expressions, soft earth palette with a violet sky suggesting impending moral lesson.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines—Narottama mid-stride, parents in expressive lament posture; stylized road splitting into several paths with small shrine motifs; warm reds and yellows with green borders, temple-wall narrative clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical road-to-tīrtha scene framed by lotus creepers—central figure departing, parents at left; deep blue and gold accents, intricate floral border; include small lotus ponds and peacocks as decorative motifs contrasting outer journey with inner duty."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["footsteps on gravel","distant temple bell","wind through trees","soft lament-like drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: svapitarāvanādṛtya = sva-pitarau + anādṛtya (au + a → āva); gatosau = gataḥ + asau (visarga sandhi).
FAQs
It presents a moral tension: undertaking pilgrimage while neglecting one’s parents is portrayed as a fault, implying that dharma includes honoring parents and not using religious acts to excuse neglect.
It frames tīrthas as numerous and widely visited—“all tīrthas”—and uses the brāhmaṇa’s continuous travel as a narrative device to introduce subsequent events or teachings tied to sacred geography.
Religious observance (like pilgrimage) is not automatically virtuous if it violates fundamental duties; intention and adherence to core responsibilities—especially toward parents—remain central.