Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 47
Episode of King Vena: Deceptive Doctrine, Compassion, and the Contest over Dharma
वेदा न वेदा राजेंद्र ब्राह्मणाः सत्यवर्जिताः । दानस्यापि फलं नास्ति तस्माद्दानं न दीयते
vedā na vedā rājeṃdra brāhmaṇāḥ satyavarjitāḥ | dānasyāpi phalaṃ nāsti tasmāddānaṃ na dīyate
يا أيها الملك، تكون الفيدا كأنها ليست فيدا حين يُحرم البرهمنة من الصدق. وحينئذٍ لا ثمرة للصدقة أيضًا؛ لذلك لا ينبغي تقديم عطية في مثل هذا الحال.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa Adhyaya 37)
Concept: When custodians of dharma lack truth, even Vedic recitation and charity lose efficacy; discernment in giving is required.
Application: Practice ‘wise charity’: verify integrity, support genuine service, avoid enabling exploitation; pair generosity with satya and dayā.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king stands at a charity pavilion with heaps of grain and gold, but the recipients—robed priests—cast greedy glances and hide their hands. A luminous scale appears in the air: on one side ‘satya’ shines heavy like gold, on the other empty ritual scrolls weigh nothing; the king withdraws the gift and redirects it toward a humble, truthful ascetic.","primary_figures":["a king (rājendra)","greedy brāhmaṇas (symbolic)","a humble truthful ascetic","personified Satya as a radiant figure or symbol"],"setting":"dāna-śālā (charity pavilion) near a temple courtyard, with banners, offering vessels, and a distant tulasi shrine","lighting_mood":"dramatic moral chiaroscuro","color_palette":["royal blue","burnished gold","ivory white","crimson","shadow umber"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: the king in regal attire pauses mid-gift, a golden balance with ‘satya’ glowing; greedy priests in the background, a humble ascetic in front; heavy gold leaf on the scale, halos, and ornaments, rich reds/greens, temple pillars and lamps, crisp iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined courtly pavilion, delicate gestures showing the king’s restraint; a subtle ethereal scale motif in pale gold; cool palette with detailed textiles, gentle landscape beyond, expressive faces conveying greed vs sincerity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, the king’s decisive posture, stylized balance symbol, contrasting facial expressions; red-yellow-green pigments, ornamental border with conch and lotus, temple-courtyard backdrop.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central scene framed by floral borders; the balance motif surrounded by lotus petals; deep indigo with gold highlights, small cows and peacocks, the king’s redirected dāna shown as a stream of golden dots flowing toward the humble ascetic."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","murmur of a crowd","coin clink softened","brief silence at the moral turn"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: rājeṃdra = राजेन्द्र (anusvāra/ṃ for nasalization in IAST); dānasyāpi = दानस्य + अपि; nāsti = न + अस्ति; tasmāddānaṃ = तस्मात् + दानम् (final t + d sandhi).
FAQs
It is a moral critique: without satya (truthfulness), even those associated with Vedic learning lose ethical credibility, making “Veda” functionally ineffective in society.
No. It warns that giving to recipients who are “satya-varjita” (devoid of truth) is spiritually unfruitful; it implies discernment (pātra-apātra-viveka) in dāna.
Truth is foundational to dharma; ritual status or learning without truth undermines both religious authority and the merit of charitable acts.