Shloka 26
The Legend of Hemakuṇḍala: Charity, Decline of the Sons, and Yama’s Judgment
अपात्रे तद्धनं दत्तं क्षिप्तं बीजमिवोषरे । न सत्पात्रे च तद्दत्तं न ब्राह्मणमुखे हुतम्
apātre taddhanaṃ dattaṃ kṣiptaṃ bījamivoṣare | na satpātre ca taddattaṃ na brāhmaṇamukhe hutam
Reichtum, der einem Unwürdigen gegeben wird, ist wie Samen, der auf unfruchtbaren Boden geworfen wird; als wäre er nicht einem würdigen Empfänger gegeben und als wäre er nicht als heilige Opfergabe in den Mund eines Brahmanen dargebracht worden.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context-dependent within Svarga-khaṇḍa 3.30)
Concept: Dāna bears fruit only when given with discernment to a worthy recipient; otherwise it is spiritually sterile like seed on barren soil.
Application: Practice ‘pātra-parīkṣā’: support genuine learning, integrity, and need; give through transparent, dharmic channels; pair charity with prayer and accountability.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A symbolic split scene: on one side, a hand scatters seed onto cracked, barren earth where nothing sprouts; on the other, the same seed is placed into a fertile, well-watered field where green shoots rise. In the foreground, a humble donor offers alms to a serene, worthy brāhmaṇa-sage, suggesting the ‘right field’ for spiritual harvest.","primary_figures":["a donor (householder)","a worthy brāhmaṇa-sage","symbolic personification of barren vs fertile field (optional)"],"setting":"agrarian landscape with two contrasting plots; a simple hermitage edge with kusa grass and water pot","lighting_mood":"golden dawn (clarity and moral awakening)","color_palette":["fresh leaf green","earth brown","sunrise gold","sky blue","white cotton"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: allegorical composition with two fields, gold leaf sun at dawn, donor offering a bowl of alms to a calm brāhmaṇa with sacred thread, fertile field rendered with raised green detailing, barren field with cracked texture, ornate border emphasizing didactic clarity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle dawn over terraced fields, delicate sprouts in the fertile plot, cracked earth in the barren plot, refined sage seated near a small āśrama, donor in humble posture, soft blues and greens with lyrical moral symbolism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined allegory, two-panel field contrast, warm yellow-red background with green highlights, brāhmaṇa-sage depicted with stylized eyes and calm expression, donor offering with clear gesture language, temple-wall didactic aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical allegory framed by floral borders and lotus motifs, central dawn sun in gold, two contrasting fields like decorative panels, donor and sage placed in devotional tableau style, deep blue sky with gold accents and intricate patterns."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["morning birds","gentle wind","water pot pour","soft bell (single strikes)","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: taddhanaṃ = tad-dhanam; bījamivoṣare = bījam iva uṣare; taddattaṃ = tad-dattam; brāhmaṇamukhe = brāhmaṇa-mukhe
FAQs
It teaches that charity must be given to a worthy recipient (satpātra); giving to an unworthy person (apātra) becomes fruitless, like sowing seed on barren land.
The metaphor emphasizes lack of results: just as barren soil cannot yield a crop, giving to an apātra fails to produce the intended spiritual merit and beneficial outcomes.
It frames proper giving as a sacred, merit-bearing act—akin to an oblation—implying that offering to a qualified Brahmin (or worthy recipient) is traditionally regarded as spiritually efficacious.