Shloka 76
Determination of the Householder’s Dharma
Dāna: Types, Recipients, Timing, and Fruits
वर्तमानः संयतात्मा याति तत्परमं पदम् । पुत्रेषु भार्यां निक्षिप्य गत्वारण्यं तु तत्त्ववित्
vartamānaḥ saṃyatātmā yāti tatparamaṃ padam | putreṣu bhāryāṃ nikṣipya gatvāraṇyaṃ tu tattvavit
ضبطِ نفس کے ساتھ زندگی بسر کر کے وہ اُس اعلیٰ مقام کو پا لیتا ہے۔ بیوی کو بیٹوں کے سپرد کر کے، حقیقت شناس جنگل کی طرف روانہ ہوتا ہے۔
Unspecified (narrative voice within Svarga-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Self-restraint and orderly life-transition (āśrama-dharma) lead toward the supreme state when responsibilities are conscientiously concluded.
Application: Complete obligations without attachment; plan life stages intentionally—simplify, cultivate restraint, and allocate time for sādhana as responsibilities lessen.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An aged, serene householder stands at the threshold of his home at dawn, placing his wife’s care into the hands of grown sons. With a staff and water-pot, he turns toward a quiet forest path, his gaze steady—duty completed, mind fixed on the Supreme.","primary_figures":["elder gṛhastha (truth-knower)","sons (adult householders)","wife (matron)"],"setting":"village home threshold opening to a forest trail; simple courtyard with tulasi platform hinted in the background","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","forest green","ochre","smoky gray","soft gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a dignified elder at a carved doorway handing responsibility to his sons, wife standing composed; distant forest with stylized trees; gold leaf halo-like radiance suggesting ‘paramaṃ padam’, rich maroon and emerald textiles, ornate borders, gem-like highlights on ornaments and staff finial.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate dawn gradient over a village edge; the elder in simple saffron cloth steps onto a winding forest path; sons in muted whites bow slightly; lyrical naturalism with fine foliage, soft hills, and refined facial expressions conveying quiet renunciation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and warm earth pigments; the elder’s calm eyes emphasized; simplified architectural doorway and stylized forest canopy; sacred austerity mood with red-ochre, yellow, and deep green blocks; subtle divine aura indicating the ‘supreme state’.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic composition—house threshold framed by lotus and creeper borders; peacocks and floral motifs; the elder’s path leading toward a stylized grove; deep indigo background with gold accents, devotional atmosphere implying Vishnu’s supreme abode beyond worldly ties."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["morning birds","distant temple bell","soft wind through leaves","brief silence between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्परमं = तत् + परमम्; गत्वारण्यं = गत्वा + अरण्यम्.
FAQs
The verse reflects vanaprastha (forest-dweller) discipline: after completing household responsibilities, one withdraws for spiritual practice.
Before renunciation, one should responsibly arrange the household’s continuity—here, entrusting the wife’s care to the sons—so withdrawal is not escapism but dharmic transition.
It presents saṃyama (self-restraint) as the inner qualification that enables attainment of the “supreme state” (paramaṃ padam), i.e., the highest spiritual goal.