Shloka 35
Rāma’s Meeting with Agastya: Gift-Ethics (Dāna) and the Tale of King Śveta
अप्यकार्यशतं कृत्वा भर्तव्या मनुरब्रवीत् । नाहं प्रतीच्छे विप्रर्षे त्वया दत्तं प्रतिग्रहं
apyakāryaśataṃ kṛtvā bhartavyā manurabravīt | nāhaṃ pratīcche viprarṣe tvayā dattaṃ pratigrahaṃ
Manu sprach: „Selbst wenn sie hundert Verfehlungen begangen hat, soll sie dennoch unterhalten werden. Doch, o Bester der Brāhmanen, ich nehme diese Gabe, die du mir als Geschenk darbringst, nicht an.“
Manu
Concept: Dharma requires steadfast maintenance of one’s dependent even amid repeated faults, and personal integrity may demand refusal of gifts that compromise one’s vow or conscience.
Application: Support those under your care without cruelty; set boundaries through ethical conduct rather than abandonment. Decline offerings that create obligation, conflict of interest, or inner disquiet.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a quiet hermitage-court setting, Manu speaks with calm authority, one hand raised in a gesture of ethical restraint while a richly wrapped gift-tray remains untouched before him. The atmosphere is solemn: compassion for the dependent is affirmed, yet the refusal of the gift is firm, signaling purity of intention over material gain.","primary_figures":["Manu","a venerable brāhmaṇa donor (unnamed)","attendants/sages as witnesses"],"setting":"forest-edge āśrama hall with kusa mats, palm-leaf manuscripts, and a low wooden dais; a gift-tray with cloth, gold coins, or a cow-token placed respectfully nearby","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","ochre","deep maroon","antique gold","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Manu seated on a carved wooden seat in an āśrama hall, right hand in abhaya/teaching mudra, left hand gently refusing a gem-studded gift-tray; gold leaf halo around Manu, rich reds and greens, ornate jewelry minimal and austere, attendants and sages in the background, intricate floral borders and gold embossing emphasizing dharma and restraint.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a serene forest hermitage with delicate brushwork; Manu in simple garments, expressive refined face, the donor brāhmaṇa offering a wrapped gift; soft Himalayan-like greenery, lyrical naturalism, muted earth tones with a touch of vermilion, fine linework on manuscripts and kusa mats.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; Manu with large stylized eyes, seated under a thatched āśrama canopy; the gift-tray rendered in warm gold and red; background sages and sacred trees; dominant red/yellow/green palette with rhythmic ornamental patterns.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: dharma-themed court-āśrama tableau framed by lotus and tulasi motifs; central figure Manu refusing a gift-tray; intricate floral borders, deep indigo accents and gold highlights; peacocks at the edges and stylized foliage, devotional ambience even in a non-Krishna scene."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","crackling oil lamp","forest birds","gentle silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: apyakāryaśataṃ→api akāryaśatam; manurabravīt→manuḥ abravīt; nāhaṃ→na aham; viprarṣe→vipra-ṛṣe.
FAQs
It teaches a duty-based ethic: one should continue to provide maintenance/support even when the dependent has committed serious faults, emphasizing responsibility over retaliation.
The verse frames gift-acceptance as morally sensitive; Manu declines the offered gift, implying that the circumstances, source, or propriety of receiving it is not dharmically acceptable.
Alongside cosmological narratives, the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa also preserves normative teachings; this verse highlights applied dharma—household duty (maintenance) and the ethics of receiving gifts.