Shloka 50
Instruction on All Dharma
in the context of Rāma’s Aśvamedha
अन्नोदक पयो मूलफलैर्वापि गृहाश्रमी । गोदानेन तु यत्पुण्यं पात्राय विधिपूर्वकम्
annodaka payo mūlaphalairvāpi gṛhāśramī | godānena tu yatpuṇyaṃ pātrāya vidhipūrvakam
Selbst der Hausvater erlangt, indem er Speise, Wasser, Milch, Wurzeln oder Früchte spendet—wenn diese Gaben einem Würdigen ordnungsgemäß dargebracht werden—denselben Verdienst, das aus der rituellen Kuhspende erwächst.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses; commonly framed as Pulastya speaking to Bhīṣma in the Pātālakhaṇḍa).
Concept: Simple gifts—food, water, milk, roots, fruits—when given with proper method to a worthy recipient, yield merit comparable to the great gift of a cow (go-dāna).
Application: Practice daily micro-dāna: offer water/food to guests, the needy, students, ascetics; give mindfully, respectfully, and without humiliation; support dharmic learning and worship through appropriate charity.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A humble householder stands at his doorway offering a brass pot of water, a bowl of rice, and a cup of milk to a serene mendicant, while baskets of roots and fruits rest nearby. In the background, a radiant cow appears as a symbolic aura—showing that the merit of go-dāna is mirrored in these simple, properly offered gifts.","primary_figures":["householder (gṛhastha)","worthy recipient (brāhmaṇa/ascetic/vaidika student)","symbolic cow (go-dāna aura)","family members witnessing with reverence"],"setting":"village home threshold with a small tulsi-less courtyard altar, offering vessels, and shaded trees","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["warm earth brown","brass gold","milk white","leaf green","saffron"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: gṛhastha at the threshold offering anna and jala in ornate brass vessels, ascetic with calm gaze, gold leaf radiance forming a cow silhouette behind them, rich red-green textiles, decorative arch border, gem-like highlights on vessels and ornaments, traditional South Indian devotional realism.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate hospitality scene with delicate brushwork, soft sunlight, detailed baskets of fruits and roots, gentle expressions, a faint luminous cow-form in the sky as symbolic merit, pastoral background with trees and a quiet path.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, warm yellow-red palette, stylized offering vessels and ascetic figure, a clear iconographic cow-aura behind as a halo motif, temple-wall didactic composition emphasizing dāna as dharma.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral border with lotus and vine motifs, central panel of anna-dāna at a doorway, deep blue background with gold highlights, cow motif integrated into the border as auspicious symbol, peacocks and floral filigree celebrating generosity as devotion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["water pouring","soft bell","cow bell (distant)","rustling leaves","gentle mantra hum"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मूलफलैर्वापि = मूलफलैः + वा + अपि; विधिपूर्वकम् अव्ययीभावः।
FAQs
It praises practical gifts—food, water, milk, roots, and fruits—especially when given by a householder to someone worthy.
The verse states that when these gifts are offered properly (vidhipūrvakam) to a worthy recipient (pātra), they yield the same merit as the ritual donation of a cow.
That accessible, life-sustaining generosity—done with discernment and proper conduct—can equal highly esteemed ritual gifts, making dharma practicable for householders.