Shloka 54
Teaching on Karma-yoga
Discipline of Action as Worship
यत्र स्युः सोऽत्र मानार्हः शूद्रोऽपि दशमीं गतः । पंथा देयो ब्राह्मणाय स्त्रियै राज्ञे विचक्षुषे
yatra syuḥ so'tra mānārhaḥ śūdro'pi daśamīṃ gataḥ | paṃthā deyo brāhmaṇāya striyai rājñe vicakṣuṣe
جہاں کہیں وہ ہوں، وہیں وہی شخص عزت کے لائق ہے—خواہ وہ شودر ہی کیوں نہ ہو جو دسویں درجے تک پہنچ گیا ہو۔ برہمن کو، عورت کو، راجا کو اور صاحبِ بصیرت کو راستہ دینا چاہیے۔
Unspecified (context-dependent within Svarga-khaṇḍa narrative)
Concept: Honor is due wherever virtue/attainment is present; even a Śūdra who has reached a high stage is to be respected. One should yield the way to brāhmaṇas, women, kings, and the discerning.
Application: Practice everyday civility: yield space, prioritize safety and dignity, and honor wisdom/virtue over ego; treat spiritual maturity as worthy of respect beyond social labels.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sunlit road leading to a temple gateway where travelers pause respectfully: a brāhmaṇa with staff and waterpot, a veiled woman, a crowned king with attendants, and a sharp-eyed scholar. The central figure steps aside with folded hands, illustrating the ethic of yielding the path and honoring discernment and attainment.","primary_figures":["brāhmaṇa pilgrim","woman traveler","king (rājā)","learned discerning person (vicakṣuṣ)","householder yielding the path"],"setting":"Temple approach road with stone steps, gateway torana, roadside tulasī planter and small shrine, pilgrims moving in orderly flow.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["stone gray","marigold saffron","royal blue","white cotton","copper gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: temple gateway procession scene—brāhmaṇa with kamaṇḍalu, dignified woman, jeweled king, and a scholar with manuscript; a devotee yields the path with añjali; gold leaf on crowns, halos, and temple ornaments, rich reds/greens, embossed borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical temple road with delicate figures and gentle gestures of deference, cool blues and warm saffron accents, refined faces; distant hills and trees, subtle architectural torana, and a calm pilgrim flow.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized procession near a temple entrance, bold outlines, expressive eyes, clear hand gestures of yielding; red/yellow/green pigments, ornamental temple motifs, and rhythmic figure spacing.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: processional composition framed by lotus and floral borders, deep blue ground with gold highlights; temple torana at center, peacocks on either side, figures arranged symmetrically to show honoring and right-of-way."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["footsteps on stone","temple bells","murmured japa","conch shell (distant)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सोऽत्र = सः + अत्र; शूद्रोऽपि = शूद्रः + अपि
FAQs
It teaches dharmic etiquette: honor is due based on worthiness and conduct, and one should yield the way to socially protected or respected persons (a Brāhmaṇa, a woman, a king) and to a discerning person.
It emphasizes that genuine merit or attainment can make a person worthy of honor regardless of birth-status, highlighting a conduct/attainment-based dimension of respect within dharma discourse.
Yielding the path is a practical marker of humility and social order in traditional dharma texts—showing deference to learning/spiritual status (Brāhmaṇa), protection and courtesy (woman), authority (king), and wise judgment (the discerning).