Shloka 117
Viśokā Dvādaśī Vow, Guḍa-Dhenū (Jaggery-Cow) Gift, and Śaila-Dāna (Mountain-Charity) Rites
एकापि गुरवे देया कपिलाथ पयस्विनी । पर्वतानामशेषाणामेष एव विधिः स्मृतः
ekāpi gurave deyā kapilātha payasvinī | parvatānāmaśeṣāṇāmeṣa eva vidhiḥ smṛtaḥ
ગુરુને એક પણ કપિલા, દૂધ આપતી ગાય દાન આપવી જોઈએ. સર્વ પર્વત-દાનો માટે આ જ વિધિ સ્મૃત છે.
Unspecified (narratorial injunction within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa context)
Concept: The essence of elaborate prescriptions can be fulfilled through a single sincere act: honoring the guru with a pure, life-sustaining gift.
Application: When overwhelmed by complex rules, focus on the core: gratitude to teachers, sincere giving, and sustaining what nourishes dharma (learning, service, community).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A humble offering scene: a single tawny kapilā cow, garlanded and calm, is led toward a seated guru beneath a banyan tree. The donor bows low, and the guru raises a hand in blessing, suggesting that one pure gift can embody the merit of many grand offerings.","primary_figures":["guru (ācārya)","donor/king","kapilā milk-giving cow"],"setting":"Hermitage edge with banyan and tulip-like forest flowers, kusa mats, water pot, and a small altar stone; quiet pastoral stillness.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["tawny ochre","banyan green","cream white","rust red","sky blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central kapilā cow adorned with gold-accented garlands, guru with radiant halo seated on a decorated pedestal, donor in añjali; gold leaf highlights on ornaments and cow bells, rich red-green textiles, ornate arch framing the hermitage scene.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate hermitage vignette with delicate foliage, soft dappled light, refined facial expressions of humility and blessing; the tawny cow rendered with gentle shading, minimal but elegant ornamentation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold contours, stylized banyan leaves, guru and donor in formal poses, kapilā cow prominent with decorative harness; warm reds and yellows with green background, temple-wall aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: cow as devotional centerpiece with lotus borders and floral filigree, deep blue ground with gold highlights; the guru and donor smaller, emphasizing the sacredness of go-sevā, peacocks and vines framing the scene."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["cow bells","rustling banyan leaves","soft mantra hum","distant temple bell","quiet pauses"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ekā+api→ekāpi; kapilā+atha→kapilātha; parvatānām+aśeṣāṇām→parvatānāmaśeṣāṇām (anusvāra sandhi); eṣaḥ+eva→eṣa eva (visarga sandhi).
FAQs
It prescribes guru-dāna/guru-dakṣiṇā in the form of gifting even a single tawny, milk-yielding cow to the guru, presenting it as a sufficient and authoritative rule.
The verse frames the instruction as a general ordinance applicable across all mountains—suggesting a standardized dharmic rule connected to mountain contexts (often pilgrimage/ritual settings) in this section.
It emphasizes gratitude and duty toward one’s teacher, teaching that sincere, proper offering—even if only one—fulfills the traditional requirement when done according to dharma.