Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 34
Narrative of Sumanā: The Quest for a Worthy Son and the Karmic Roots of Poverty
पात्रे दानं न दत्तं तु दृष्ट्वा दुर्बलमेव च । कृपां कृत्वा न दत्तं तु भवता धनमेव च
pātre dānaṃ na dattaṃ tu dṛṣṭvā durbalameva ca | kṛpāṃ kṛtvā na dattaṃ tu bhavatā dhanameva ca
Selbst als du einen würdigen Empfänger sahst—und auch den Schwachen erblicktest—gabst du kein dāna (Almosen). Selbst nachdem Mitgefühl in dir aufstieg, gabst du dein Vermögen nicht.
Unspecified (context not provided; likely a narrator/teacher admonishing the listener in a dharma discourse)
Concept: Dana must be responsive: give to the worthy and to the vulnerable; even when compassion arises, failing to act hardens the heart and wastes the moment of grace.
Application: When moved by someone’s need, act immediately in a measured way (food, medicine, education support); keep a ‘dana fund’ ready; practice seeing the recipient as Hari’s presence.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At a householder’s gate, a learned brāhmaṇa (worthy pātra) and a frail, hungry person stand with folded hands; the householder looks away despite a visible softening in his eyes. A rishi’s presence behind the supplicants reveals the spiritual weight of the moment, while a small Vishnu lamp on a pedestal flickers—suggesting that charity is worship in disguise.","primary_figures":["householder","worthy brāhmaṇa recipient (pātra)","weak/poor person (durbala)","a rishi/teacher","Vishnu lamp/altar (symbolic)"],"setting":"Threshold scene: doorway, courtyard, offering plate left unused; simple shrine lamp; supplicants in humble attire.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit (flickering conscience)","color_palette":["warm ghee-lamp gold","ash gray","cotton white","maroon","deep teal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: doorway scene with gold-leaf lamp flame and ornate pedestal; supplicants with expressive faces; householder turned away holding a purse; rishi behind with halo; rich reds/greens, gold leaf on lamp, jewelry, and shrine motifs; traditional South Indian compositional framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate human drama at a threshold; delicate rendering of folded hands, tired eyes of the weak, and the householder’s conflicted gaze; soft architectural lines, muted palette with a warm lamp glow; refined facial features and gentle shading.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized doorway and lamp, strong emotional eyes; rishi as moral witness; red-yellow-green palette with patterned borders; clear narrative readability like temple storytelling panels.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic threshold with a central lamp and lotus border; figures arranged in devotional symmetry; deep blue background with gold highlights; floral motifs intensify around the lamp to suggest that dana is a form of worship."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["single temple bell","soft sobbing wind (subtle)","tanpura drone","quiet footsteps at a doorway","long silence after the final pada"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दुर्बलमेव = दुर्बलम् + एव; धनमेव = धनम् + एव.
FAQs
It condemns withholding charity even when one clearly recognizes both a worthy recipient and a needy, weak person; compassion must be expressed through action, not merely feeling.
Compassion is implied to be incomplete if it does not result in giving or support; inner pity without outward help is treated as a moral failure.
It mentions both: giving to the pātra (worthy recipient) and responding to the durbala (weak/helpless), indicating a broad duty of generosity grounded in discernment and mercy.