Shloka 25
Teaching on Karma-yoga
Discipline of Action as Worship
यो न वेत्त्यभिवादस्य विप्रः प्रत्यभिवादनम् । नाभिवाद्यः स विदुषा यथा शूद्रस्तथैव सः
yo na vettyabhivādasya vipraḥ pratyabhivādanam | nābhivādyaḥ sa viduṣā yathā śūdrastathaiva saḥ
جو برہمن سلام و آداب کے جواب کی درست رسم نہیں جانتا، اسے عالم شخص سلام نہ کرے؛ وہ شُودر کے مانند ہی سمجھا جاتا ہے۔
Unspecified (narrative voice not provided in the excerpt)
Concept: Ritual knowledge and proper conduct define eligibility for honor; ignorance of prescribed return-greeting negates one’s claim to brāhmaṇa status in social-ritual terms.
Application: Learn the etiquette of your tradition; do not demand honor without competence; cultivate humility—status is validated by conduct.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned elder turns away with stern composure as an untrained brāhmaṇa fails to respond correctly to a salutation. The scene is tense but instructive—honor is shown as something earned through discipline, not merely claimed by name.","primary_figures":["learned paṇḍita","untrained brāhmaṇa","onlooking students"],"setting":"assembly hall of an āśrama or village sabhā with low seats, manuscripts, and a visible threshold line suggesting social boundary","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["iron gray","dusty ochre","dark umber","muted saffron","pale parchment"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a sabhā scene with the paṇḍita in dignified posture, gold leaf used sparingly to highlight dharma’s authority; the untrained figure slightly recessed, expressions clear and didactic, ornate border with moral emblems (scales, scripture).","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: restrained drama—subtle facial expressions, a quiet but sharp gesture of refusal; cool earthy palette, fine architectural lines, a few students whispering, emphasizing social instruction over spectacle.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and strong contrast; the elder’s stern gaze and hand gesture dominate; red-yellow-green pigments convey admonition, with stylized manuscript motifs along the frame.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: moral tableau framed by floral borders; symbolic motifs (closed gate, scripture) woven into the border; deep blue and ochre contrast to show the gravity of dharma and the cost of ignorance."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp staff tap on ground","hushed murmurs","rustle of robes","brief heavy silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वेत्यभिवादस्य = वेत्ति + अभिवादस्य; विप्रोऽ = विप्रः +; नाभिवाद्यः = न + अभिवाद्यः; तथैव = तथा + एव.
FAQs
It teaches that social and religious status is tied to proper knowledge and practice of dharmic conduct—here, the correct etiquette of salutation and returning a greeting.
It refers to the proper reciprocal response to a respectful salutation—returning the greeting in the appropriate traditional form.
The verse emphasizes that learning must be reflected in behavior; lacking basic dharmic manners undermines one’s claim to being truly learned.