Shloka 122
The Episode of Vena: Purification, the ‘Vāsudevābhidhā’ Hymn, and the Dharma of Charity
Times, Tīrthas, Worthy Recipients
अतिस्तब्धाय नो देयं शठाय च विशेषतः । वेदशास्त्रसमायुक्तः सदाचारेण वर्जितः
atistabdhāya no deyaṃ śaṭhāya ca viśeṣataḥ | vedaśāstrasamāyuktaḥ sadācāreṇa varjitaḥ
Man soll dem Überheblichen nicht geben, und erst recht nicht dem Betrüger. Selbst wenn einer in Veden und Śāstras bewandert ist, ist er zu meiden, wenn ihm rechte Lebensführung fehlt.
Unspecified (context needed to confirm the dialogue speaker in Bhūmi-khaṇḍa 39)
Concept: Learning without character is disqualifying; arrogance and deceit negate worthiness for receiving dāna.
Application: Evaluate teachers/organizations by transparency, humility, and service; do not be impressed solely by credentials; cultivate congruence between knowledge and behavior.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A proud scholar, draped in fine garments and holding palm-leaf manuscripts, stands with chin raised, while a sage calmly points to a simple devotee whose hands are folded in humility. The king’s treasurer pauses mid-gift, redirecting charity away from deceit and toward quiet virtue, making conduct the true ornament.","primary_figures":["ṛṣi (sage-teacher)","rājā (king)","vaidika paṇḍita (arrogant scholar)","simple sadācārī devotee","treasurer/attendant"],"setting":"palace courtyard near a small Vishnu shrine; manuscripts, donation trays, and a line of petitioners","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["ivory white","ochre","peacock blue","vermillion","antique gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a sage with gold halo instructing a king, an arrogant scholar with manuscripts and ornate jewelry shown slightly aside, a humble devotee receiving a clean gift before a Vishnu shrine, heavy gold leaf embellishment, rich reds/greens, jewel-like detailing, symmetrical temple-pillared backdrop.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate brushwork showing contrasting expressions—pride and humility—within a palace garden, cool blues and soft greens, refined faces, manuscript details, distant hills and a pale sky, lyrical composition emphasizing moral choice.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized eyes, the sage’s gesture of instruction, the deceitful figure rendered with angular posture, the humble devotee centered, warm red/yellow/green pigments, temple-wall aesthetic with ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Vishnu/Śālagrāma shrine with lotus garlands, attendants distributing dāna to humble devotees, arrogant and deceitful figures kept outside the main floral mandala, intricate borders with lotuses and peacocks, deep indigo background with gold highlights."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["hand cymbals (tāla)","temple bells","brief conch accent","murmur of a court assembly"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नो देयं = नः देयम् (एन्क्लिटिक 'नः' + देयम्).
FAQs
It teaches discernment in charity: do not support arrogance or deceit, and value good conduct over mere scriptural learning.
No. It warns that learning without sadācāra (upright conduct) is insufficient and can even make a person unworthy of support.
It frames dāna as a moral act requiring judgment about the recipient’s character, emphasizing integrity and behavior as key criteria.