Shloka 71
Determination of the Householder’s Dharma
Dāna: Types, Recipients, Timing, and Fruits
धनलोभे प्रसक्तस्तु ब्राह्मण्यादेव हीयते । वेदानधीत्य सकलान्यज्ञांश्चावाप्य सर्वशः
dhanalobhe prasaktastu brāhmaṇyādeva hīyate | vedānadhītya sakalānyajñāṃścāvāpya sarvaśaḥ
Celui qui s’attache à la convoitise des richesses déchoit de la véritable condition de brahmane, quand bien même il aurait étudié tous les Veda et accompli des sacrifices (yajña) en tout point.
Unspecified (narrative voice within Padma Purāṇa Svarga-khaṇḍa; exact dialogue frame not provided in the input)
Concept: Greed (dhanalobha) nullifies spiritual identity; learning and ritual cannot compensate for corrupted motive.
Application: Treat wealth as stewardship: set limits, practice dana without self-display, and audit motives behind religious acts (are they for prestige, gain, or service?).
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned brāhmaṇa sits amid palm-leaf manuscripts and a completed yajña-vedi, yet a shadowy figure of ‘lobha’ coils around his heart as gold coins spill from his hands. In the background, the sacred fire burns steady but its smoke forms a downward spiral, hinting at spiritual decline despite outward orthopraxy.","primary_figures":["brāhmaṇa householder-scholar","personified Lobha (shadowy, serpent-like aura)","Agni (yajña fire as presence)"],"setting":"A ritual courtyard with vedi, kuśa grass, ladles, and stacks of Veda manuscripts; a threshold showing the pull of marketplace wealth beyond the sacred space.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit with a creeping dusk-shadow","color_palette":["saffron ochre","smoke gray","antique gold","deep maroon","ash white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a seated brāhmaṇa before a glowing yajña fire and Veda manuscripts, gold coins and ornaments rendered with heavy gold leaf; a subtle dark aura of Lobha curling near the chest; rich vermilion backdrop, emerald borders, gem-studded jewelry details, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry, ornate arch framing the moral allegory.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate scholar-brāhmaṇa in a quiet courtyard, thin lines and refined face; manuscripts and a small fire altar; a faint shadow-serpent of greed near the heart; cool twilight blues with warm saffron highlights; lyrical trees and distant hills suggesting the mind’s drift from dharma.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, flat natural pigments; brāhmaṇa with expressive eyes, yajña fire stylized; gold coins as repeating motifs; a dark curling form of Lobha contrasted against red/yellow/green palette; temple-wall aesthetic emphasizing didactic clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central moral tableau framed by lotus and floral borders; brāhmaṇa near a small altar, coins patterned like decorative motifs; peacocks and cows at the margins as symbols of purity; deep indigo ground with gold detailing, devotional ornamentation turning the warning into a contemplative darśan scene."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","low drone (tanpura)","crackling fire","brief silence after the warning"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धनलोभे = धन-लोभे (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); प्रसक्तस्-तु = प्रसक्तः तु; ब्राह्मण्यादेव = ब्राह्मण्यात् एव; वेदानधीत्य = वेदान् अधीत्य; सकलान्यज्ञांश्चावाप्य = सकलान् यज्ञान् च अवाप्य.
FAQs
It teaches that greed for wealth undermines spiritual character: ritual achievement and learning are insufficient if one is dominated by lobha (greed).
Brahminhood is presented as a lived dharma and inner integrity, not merely the external credentials of Vedic study or the performance of yajñas.
No. It affirms their value but warns that they do not protect a person from moral and spiritual decline if greed becomes the ruling motive.