Shloka 47
Determination of the Householder’s Dharma
Dāna: Types, Recipients, Timing, and Fruits
धान्यदः शाश्वतं सौख्यं ब्रह्मदो ब्रह्मशाश्वतम् । धान्यान्यपि यथाशक्ति विप्रेषु प्रतिपादयेत्
dhānyadaḥ śāśvataṃ saukhyaṃ brahmado brahmaśāśvatam | dhānyānyapi yathāśakti vipreṣu pratipādayet
Wer Korn spendet, erlangt beständiges Glück; wer heiliges Wissen (Brahman) spendet, erreicht den ewigen Brahman. Darum soll man nach eigener Kraft den Brāhmaṇas Getreide darbringen.
Unspecified (narratorial instruction within the Svargakhaṇḍa context)
Concept: Anna-dāna yields enduring sukha; brahma-dāna (imparting sacred knowledge) yields brahma-prāpti; therefore give according to capacity to worthy recipients.
Application: Set a realistic, regular practice: donate staples monthly; sponsor Veda/śāstra teaching or books; support a teacher or student; keep giving proportional (yathāśakti) to avoid pride or strain.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene courtyard of a Vaishnava āśrama where sacks of grain are being measured with care and offered to learned brāhmaṇas seated on kusa mats. In the background, a palm-leaf manuscript and a small lamp symbolize brahma-dāna, suggesting that nourishment and knowledge are twin offerings that lead to lasting joy and liberation.","primary_figures":["pious householder donor","brāhmaṇa recipients","scribe/teacher with palm-leaf manuscript","Vishnu emblem (śaṅkha-cakra) as auspicious motif"],"setting":"Āśrama or temple-annadāna hall with granary jars, weighing scales, kusa mats, and a manuscript stand","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["saffron ochre","rice-white","leaf green","lamp-gold","indigo shadow"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a Vaishnava annadāna scene in a pillared mandapa, donor offering measured grain to seated brāhmaṇas; a palm-leaf manuscript and oil lamp beside them signifying brahma-dāna; gold leaf embellishment on pillars, lamp flames, and ornaments; rich reds and greens, gem-studded details, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry, subtle śaṅkha-cakra motifs in the arch.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet āśrama courtyard with delicate brushwork; donor kneeling with a grain basket, brāhmaṇas receiving with calm gestures; a manuscript on a low wooden stand; cool natural palette with lyrical trees and distant hills; refined faces, soft textiles, and fine linework emphasizing humility and ‘yathāśakti’ giving.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; annadāna in a temple corridor with stylized eyes and rhythmic forms; brāhmaṇas seated in a row, donor offering grain; lamp and manuscript rendered as sacred symbols; dominant red/yellow/green palette with ornamental borders and auspicious Vaishnava emblems.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: an annadāna pavilion framed by lotus and floral borders; subtle Krishna-Vishnu presence via śaṅkha-cakra banners; devotees distributing grain to brāhmaṇas; intricate textile patterns, peacocks at the border, deep blues and gold accents, devotional abundance without clutter."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["temple bells","soft conch shell","murmured Vedic chanting","grain pouring into a measure","silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धान्यान्यपि = धान्यानि + अपि; ब्रह्मशाश्वतम् treated as कर्मधारय compound; प्रतिपादयेत् is optative of प्रति-√पद् ‘to present/offer’.
FAQs
It teaches the dharmic value of dāna: giving grain leads to lasting worldly well-being, while giving brahman (spiritual knowledge) leads to the eternal spiritual goal; one should donate according to capacity.
It refers to one who gives “brahman,” commonly understood as sacred/spiritual knowledge (or that which leads to realization of Brahman), and such giving is said to yield an eternal spiritual fruit.
Charity should be practiced proportionately—without vanity or self-harm—so that giving remains sincere, sustainable, and aligned with one’s real means.