Shloka 53
Determination of the Householder’s Dharma
Dāna: Types, Recipients, Timing, and Fruits
तत्तद्गुणवते देयं तदेवाक्षयमिच्छता । अयने विषुवे चैव ग्रहणे चंद्रसूर्ययोः
tattadguṇavate deyaṃ tadevākṣayamicchatā | ayane viṣuve caiva grahaṇe caṃdrasūryayoḥ
مَن يبتغي ثوابًا لا يفنى فليُعطِ تلك الصدقةَ لِمَن هو أهلٌ لها، صاحبِ الفضائل اللائقة—وخاصةً عند الانقلابين والاعتدالين، وعند كسوف الشمس وخسوف القمر.
Not specified in the provided excerpt (context-dependent within Svargakhaṇḍa 57)
Concept: Akṣaya-puṇya arises when dāna is given to a guṇavat (worthy recipient) at cosmically potent times.
Application: Plan charitable giving around calendrical thresholds (solstices/equinoxes) and eclipses; prioritize vetted, virtuous recipients (learned, self-controlled, service-oriented) rather than indiscriminate giving.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sacred courtyard where a donor offers gifts to a serene, learned brāhmaṇa as the sky dramatizes cosmic transitions—half-lit sun at eclipse, stars faintly visible, and a ceremonial calendar wheel motif. The atmosphere suggests time itself pausing to witness the act, turning charity into imperishable merit.","primary_figures":["donor (gṛhastha)","guṇavat śrotriya brāhmaṇa","astronomer-priest holding pañcāṅga","celestial Sun and Moon personified subtly"],"setting":"Temple courtyard with a yajña-kuṇḍa, pañcāṅga manuscript, and eclipse-viewing vessels; banners marking ayana/viṣuva.","lighting_mood":"eclipse twilight with divine radiance at the horizon","color_palette":["smoky indigo","copper eclipse glow","ivory white","vermillion accents","antique gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: eclipse-time dāna in a temple mandapa—donor presenting offerings to a śrotriya, Sun and Moon rendered as iconographic discs above, ornate pillars, heavy gold leaf on halos and temple jewelry, rich crimson and emerald textiles, gem-like detailing on vessels and manuscripts.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate eclipse sky with a thin crescent of light, donor and brāhmaṇa seated on a patterned rug, an astronomer-priest with a palm-leaf pañcāṅga, cool blues and soft copper tones, refined facial features, lyrical trees and distant hills.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines—Sun and Moon as stylized faces in the sky, donor offering gifts with hands in añjali, brāhmaṇa calm and radiant, temple wall aesthetic, red/yellow/green pigments with black contouring, large expressive eyes.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: cosmic calendar wheel and lotus border framing an eclipse-time charity scene, deep blue ground with gold star motifs, intricate floral patterns, subtle Krishna/Vishnu symbols blessing the act, symmetrical composition with ornate textile detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","conch shell","hushed crowd","distant chanting","momentary silence (eclipse hush)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्तद्गुणवते = तत्-तत् गुणवते; तदेवाक्षयमिच्छता = तत् एव अक्षयम् इच्छता; चंद्रसूर्ययोः = चन्द्र-सूर्ययोः (द्वन्द्व).
FAQs
It instructs that charity should be given to a genuinely virtuous and suitable recipient, and highlights specific sacred times—solstices, equinoxes, and lunar/solar eclipses—as especially fruitful for gaining imperishable merit.
These are regarded in Purāṇic dharma literature as powerful temporal junctions (kāla-viśeṣa) when religious acts like dāna are believed to yield heightened and enduring spiritual results.
The verse implies discernment and integrity in giving: the value of charity depends not only on the act and the time, but also on offering it to a worthy person of good conduct and virtues.