Padma Purana — Svarga Khanda, Shloka 24
Prayāga’s Supremacy Among Tīrthas: Faith, Yoga, Charity, and the Ethics of Attainment
परोक्षं हरते यस्तु पश्चाद्दानं प्रयच्छति । न ते गच्छंति वै स्वर्गं दातारो यत्र भोगिनः
parokṣaṃ harate yastu paścāddānaṃ prayacchati | na te gacchaṃti vai svargaṃ dātāro yatra bhoginaḥ
One who steals in secret and later gives in charity—such givers do not truly go to heaven, for there are those who enjoy the fruits earned by rightful means.
Unspecified (narratorial/ethical instruction within the Svarga-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Charity cannot sanitize secret theft; heaven’s enjoyments belong to those who earned merit through rightful means—ethical purity is prior to dāna.
Application: Do not rationalize unethical gain by later donations; practice honest earning, transparent restitution, and then charity; cultivate inner integrity as part of devotion.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A split-scene moral allegory: on one side, a shadowed figure steals a cow and a pouch of gold behind a wall; on the other, the same figure offers coins at a bright altar, yet a celestial gate remains closed. Above, radiant svarga beings enjoy fruits in a garden, signifying that only untainted merit ripens into heavenly enjoyment.","primary_figures":["a symbolic thief-donor (same person)","celestial gatekeepers (symbolic)","svarga enjoyers (devas/meritful souls)"],"setting":"Juxtaposed earthly alley and temple altar below; above, svarga garden with wish-fulfilling trees and jeweled pavilions.","lighting_mood":"contrast: shadowed vs divine radiance","color_palette":["midnight blue","lamp gold","stone gray","emerald green","pearl white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dual-panel composition with gold leaf svarga garden above; jeweled gatekeepers turning away the tainted donor; rich reds/greens, ornate temple lamp flames, and a luminous upper register of celestial enjoyment with heavy gold embellishment.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: elegant diptych—left a quiet theft in cool dusk tones, right a temple offering in warm lamplight; above, a delicate svarga terrace with flowering trees; subtle facial expressions conveying moral irony.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined allegory with clear moral separation; dark left panel for theft, bright right panel for dāna, and a radiant upper band for svarga; stylized gatekeepers and ornamental foliage.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative border with lotus motifs; central composition shows closed celestial gate despite offerings; upper svarga garden rendered with intricate floral patterns, deep indigo and gold; symbolic cow motif included to stress dharma."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["temple bells","coin clink (subtle)","conch shell (distant)","garden birds","silence after key line"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यस्तु = यः + तु; पश्चाद्दानम् = पश्चात् + दानम्; गच्छंति (IAST) = गच्छन्ति; दातारो = दातारः (visarga sandhi before yatra).
FAQs
No. It states that giving charity after secretly stealing does not qualify one for heaven; merit must be earned through righteous means, not by compensating for wrongdoing with later gifts.
The principle that ends do not justify means: wealth gained through adharma (stealing) cannot become spiritually purifying merely by donating it afterward.
Svarga is portrayed as the realm where beings enjoy the fruits of legitimate merit; actions rooted in theft undermine the karmic basis required to attain and enjoy such results.