Shloka 44
The Episode of Vena: Purification, the ‘Vāsudevābhidhā’ Hymn, and the Dharma of Charity
Times, Tīrthas, Worthy Recipients
दत्तस्यापि सुदानस्य श्रद्धायुक्तस्य सत्तम । काले प्राप्ते व्रजेत्तीर्थं पुण्यस्यापि फलं त्विदम्
dattasyāpi sudānasya śraddhāyuktasya sattama | kāle prāpte vrajettīrthaṃ puṇyasyāpi phalaṃ tvidam
يا أفضلَ الصالحين، حتى إذا قُدِّمت هبةٌ كريمةٌ مقرونةٌ بالإيمان، فإذا جاء الوقتُ اللائق فليتوجّه المرءُ إلى تيرثا، موضعِ الحجّ المقدّس؛ فهذا حقًّا ثمرةُ ذلك البرّ أيضًا.
Unknown (context not provided; likely within the Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue framework of the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa)
Concept: Even after giving with faith, at the right time one should go to a tīrtha; pilgrimage becomes the fruition (phala) of accumulated merit.
Application: Plan periodic pilgrimages or retreats as ‘merit harvest’: combine charity with sacred travel, bathing, temple service, and vows; choose auspicious times and go with humility.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A pilgrim-king, having completed a charitable rite, sets out with a small retinue toward a distant tīrtha as the season turns—signaling ‘kāla-prāpti’. On the riverbank, he bows with folded hands, carrying a water-pot and prayer beads, while temple spires and bathing ghats appear through morning mist, suggesting merit ripening into sacred journey.","primary_figures":["pilgrim king (or noble donor)","brāhmaṇa guide","tīrtha priests","devotees"],"setting":"river-ghats leading to a temple town; pilgrimage road with trees and waymarkers","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["mist silver","river teal","sandstone beige","marigold gold","indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: pilgrimage procession approaching a grand ghat and temple tower, donor-king in humble posture holding kamaṇḍalu, priests welcoming, gold leaf on temple finials and halos, rich maroon and emerald accents, ornate borders with lotus and conch motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: winding path to a riverside tīrtha with delicate mist, pilgrims in layered garments, subtle sunrise gradient, refined faces, lyrical trees and distant hills, cool blues/greens with warm gold highlights, intimate devotional mood.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic ghat-and-temple composition with bold outlines—pilgrim offering añjali, stylized river waves, priests and lamps, strong red/yellow/green palette, decorative border patterns evoking sacred architecture.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical ghat scene framed by lotus creepers—devotees descending for snāna, temple at center, peacocks and floral borders, deep indigo background with gold detailing, subtle Vaishnava symbols integrated into the border."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing water","footsteps on stone ghats","temple bells","conch shell","morning birds"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दत्तस्यापि = दत्तस्य + अपि (अ + अ → आ). व्रजेत्तीर्थम् = व्रजेत् + तीर्थम् (त् + त् → त्त्). त्विदम् = तु + इदम् (उ + इ → वि).
FAQs
It links inner intention and outer practice: even faithful charity should be complemented by timely pilgrimage, which is presented as a mature “fruit” (phala) of merit.
It stresses dharmic appropriateness: spiritual acts gain potency when done at the right time—season, occasion, or life-stage—rather than merely being performed once.
Do good with faith and then sustain that goodness through continued disciplines; merit is not only earned by giving but also cultivated through subsequent, well-timed sacred action.