Shloka 31
Account of the Ripening of Karma
Childlessness, Offspring, and Remedial Dharma
व्यास उवाच । सवस्त्रं चैव कूष्मांडं वृषभं ससुवर्णकम् । देहि दानं ब्राह्मणस्य कुरु बालव्रतं तथा
vyāsa uvāca | savastraṃ caiva kūṣmāṃḍaṃ vṛṣabhaṃ sasuvarṇakam | dehi dānaṃ brāhmaṇasya kuru bālavrataṃ tathā
قال فياسا: «قدِّم دَانًا لبرهمنٍ قرعًا مع ثوب، وقدِّم ثورًا مع ذهب؛ وكذلك التزم بَالا-فْرَتَا».
Vyāsa
Concept: Dāna offered with proper items and intention, coupled with a named vrata, becomes a direct means of pāpa-kṣaya and auspicious fruition.
Application: Practice intentional generosity (appropriate, respectful giving) and adopt a manageable vow/discipline (regular fasting, restraint, or daily worship) with consistency rather than sporadic intensity.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king stands before a serene brāhmaṇa in a courtyard altar-space, presenting a ripe pumpkin wrapped in clean cloth, while attendants lead a calm bull adorned with a gold neck-band. Nearby, a small sacred fire and a vow-threaded water-pot suggest the beginning of Bāla-vrata, with palm-leaf manuscripts and a conch placed as auspicious markers.","primary_figures":["Vyāsa","a righteous king (donor)","brāhmaṇa recipient","attendants"],"setting":"Temple-adjacent courtyard with a modest yajña-vedi, tulasi planter at the edge, and ritual vessels arranged on a low wooden platform.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["saffron ochre","ivory white","emerald green","burnished gold","deep indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Vyāsa seated with palm-leaf manuscript and rosary, blessing a king who offers a cloth-wrapped pumpkin and a decorated bull with gold ornaments to a brāhmaṇa; gold leaf halos, rich maroon backdrop, ornate arch (prabhāmaṇḍala), gem-studded jewelry, crisp South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical courtyard scene with delicate linework—king offering cloth and pumpkin, bull led gently, Vyāsa as sage under a flowering tree; cool greens and blues, refined faces, patterned textiles, distant hills and a small shrine, airy composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments—Vyāsa and brāhmaṇa frontal, king in profile presenting gifts, bull with stylized ornaments; warm red/yellow/green palette, temple wall aesthetic, large expressive eyes, decorative borders with lotus motifs.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a devotional gifting tableau framed by lotus and creeper borders; attendants, ritual vessels, and a calm bull; deep blue ground with gold detailing, peacocks at corners, floral filigree, Vaishnava auspicious symbols (shankha-chakra) subtly integrated."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","soft conch shell","low fire-crackle","murmured mantra"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चैव = च + एव.
FAQs
The verse prescribes gifting a pumpkin with a cloth, and gifting a bull accompanied by gold, specifically as donations to a brāhmaṇa.
The speaker is Vyāsa, and the tone is prescriptive—issuing direct imperatives to give charity and to undertake a specific vow (Bāla-vrata).
The ethical focus is on dharmic living through generosity (dāna) and disciplined religious observance (vrata), presented as concrete, actionable duties.