Shloka 87
Annadāna and the Obstruction of Viṣṇu-Darśana; Vāmadeva’s Teaching and the Vāsudeva Stotra Prelude
मृत्युकालेपि नो दत्तं तस्मात्क्षुधा प्रवर्तते । एतत्ते कारणं प्रोक्तं जातं कर्मवशानुगम्
mṛtyukālepi no dattaṃ tasmātkṣudhā pravartate | etatte kāraṇaṃ proktaṃ jātaṃ karmavaśānugam
Weil du selbst zur Stunde des Todes nichts gespendet hast, darum quält dich der Hunger. Dies ist die Ursache, die ich dir dargelegt habe—entstanden gemäß dem Zwang früheren Karmas.
Unspecified (contextual narrator/sage voice not provided in the excerpt)
Concept: Suffering (here, hunger) arises from karmic compulsion rooted in neglected charity; even death-time omission has consequences.
Application: Do not postpone generosity to ‘later’; cultivate regular giving, especially food and water. When facing endings (illness, old age), consciously perform acts of release—charity, forgiveness, and remembrance of Viṣṇu—to soften karmic momentum.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stark karmic vision: the king, now gaunt and tormented by hunger, stands in a desolate liminal space while the sage calmly explains the cause, pointing to a shadowy tableau of missed gifts—food, water, cow, and land—fading like unfulfilled duties. The composition contrasts the sage’s steady compassion with the king’s suffering, making karma feel both impersonal and exact.","primary_figures":["sage/teacher","king (afflicted by hunger)","personified Karma (subtle symbolic presence)"],"setting":"A barren threshold landscape—neither fully earthly nor fully otherworldly—with cracked ground, a dry water pot, and ghostly silhouettes of charitable acts that never occurred.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["ashen white","midnight blue","rust brown","pale gold","dull crimson"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: moral-vision panel with a sage instructing a suffering king in a liminal barren landscape; gold leaf used sparingly to highlight the law of karma (a subtle wheel motif), dramatic contrasts, ornate border framing the didactic scene, symbolic dry water pot and faded offerings rendered with iconographic clarity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: poignant, minimal landscape with cracked earth and cool moonlight; expressive yet restrained faces; the sage’s gesture of explanation, the king’s hollowed posture; translucent vignettes of ‘undone dāna’ floating in the background like memories.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: strong outlines and stylized sorrow; moonlit blue-black background, earthy pigments for the barren ground; symbolic karma-wheel motif behind the sage; the king’s hunger shown through posture and simplified anatomy, didactic clarity emphasized.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical composition with a central dialogue framed by floral borders that appear slightly withered; deep blue ground, muted gold highlights; symbolic empty grain basket and dry kalaśa; decorative motifs used to intensify the moral warning rather than celebration."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["distant wind","low bell tolls","silence","soft drone (tanpura)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मृत्युकाले+अपि→मृत्युकालेपि; न+उ→नो (नॊ); तस्मात्+क्षुधा→तस्मात्क्षुधा (त्+क्); एतत्+ते→एतत्ते (त्+त्).
FAQs
It links the failure to give—even at life’s end—with the experience of deprivation, presenting hunger as a karmic result of withholding generosity.
Karma is presented as a binding causal force: present suffering is said to arise in accordance with the momentum and compulsion of prior actions.
The verse urges timely generosity and responsibility for one’s actions, warning that neglecting compassion and giving can mature into future hardship.