Shloka 60
Karma, Non-Violence, Tīrtha & Gaṅgā Merit, Vaiṣṇava Protection, Śālagrāma Worship, and Ekādaśī as Deliverance
दत्त्वा प्रेतपतेर्भूमौ न व्रजंति नराः क्वचित् । पृथिवीं कांचनं गां च दत्वा दानानि षोडश
dattvā pretapaterbhūmau na vrajaṃti narāḥ kvacit | pṛthivīṃ kāṃcanaṃ gāṃ ca datvā dānāni ṣoḍaśa
Habiendo hecho la ofrenda en el suelo para el Señor de los difuntos (Yama), las personas no van a ningún destino funesto. Dar en caridad tierra, oro y una vaca: éstos están entre los dieciséis dones prescritos.
Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within the chapter context)
Concept: Offerings directed to Yama and the prescribed ‘sixteen gifts’ (ṣoḍaśa-dāna) function as safeguards against evil destinies and stabilize one’s post-mortem passage.
Application: Practice structured generosity: prioritize high-impact gifts (supporting land/food security, livelihood, and care—symbolized by bhūmi, hiraṇya, go) and dedicate merit for ancestors and ethical living.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A solemn ritual unfolds on bare, purified earth: the donor places offerings for Yama—sesame and symbolic gifts—before a small earthen mandala. In the background, a faint, dignified vision of Yama appears as a shadowed guardian-king, not terrifying but judicial, while the ‘sixteen gifts’ are suggested through emblematic objects: a miniature plot marker for land, a gold ingot, and a gentle cow with a garland.","primary_figures":["householder donor","brāhmaṇa officiant","Yama (subtle, background apparition)","cow (as go-dāna symbol)"],"setting":"ritual ground outside a village boundary or near a śrāddha platform, with earthen altar, kusa grass, and offering vessels","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["smoky charcoal","lamp amber","cowhide cream","vermillion red","antique gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: judicial yet auspicious Yama in the background with ornate crown, donor offering on purified earth, symbolic land deed marker, gold and cow presented, gold leaf highlighting Yama’s ornaments and the lamp flame, rich maroons and greens, symmetrical composition with traditional iconography.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: restrained palette, donor and priest on a quiet ground altar, a gentle cow at the side, Yama hinted as a translucent figure in the sky, delicate linework, refined faces, soft twilight-lamp glow, minimal but evocative symbolism for the sixteen gifts.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, Yama with characteristic large eyes and regal posture, donor kneeling with offerings, cow rendered in stylized curves, warm reds/yellows/greens, mural-like framing with floral borders and ritual motifs.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional border of lotuses and auspicious symbols, central ground-offering scene with cow and gold motifs, deep blue field with gold accents, peacocks at corners, intricate textile patterns emphasizing dharma and protection."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","soft conch in distance","crackling lamp wick","hushed chanting"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रेतपतेर्भूमौ = प्रेतपतेः + भूमौ.
FAQs
‘Pretapati’ means “lord of the departed,” a common epithet for Yama, the ruler associated with the realm of the dead and moral retribution.
It links prescribed offerings and major gifts—especially land, gold, and a cow—with protection from falling into undesirable states after death, emphasizing dāna as a strong merit-producing act.
The verse alludes to a traditional list of sixteen meritorious donations; here it highlights key examples (land, gold, cow) as representative items within that broader dāna framework.