Shloka 195
Viśokā Dvādaśī Vow, Guḍa-Dhenū (Jaggery-Cow) Gift, and Śaila-Dāna (Mountain-Charity) Rites
चतुर्भिर्मध्यमः प्रोक्तो भाराभ्यामधमः स्मृतः । भारेण चार्द्धभारेणकुर्याद्यः स्वल्पवित्तवान्
caturbhirmadhyamaḥ prokto bhārābhyāmadhamaḥ smṛtaḥ | bhāreṇa cārddhabhāreṇakuryādyaḥ svalpavittavān
ચાર ભાર દાન કરનાર મધ્યમ કહેવાય છે અને બે ભાર દાન કરનાર અધમ તરીકે સ્મરાય છે. પરંતુ અલ્પવિત્તવાળો પુરુષ પોતાની શક્તિ મુજબ એક ભાર કે અર્ધ ભાર પણ દાન કરે.
Unspecified (context not provided in the input excerpt)
Concept: Dāna is graded, but dharma is proportionate to one’s means; sincerity outweighs magnitude.
Application: Give regularly in a sustainable way—set a modest, consistent portion for charity/temple/food-giving; avoid debt-driven ‘show’ donations.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual pavilion where devotees of different means approach a sacred altar with measured offerings—large sacks of grain for the wealthy, a small bowl for the poor—yet the same divine radiance blesses all. A calm priest gestures toward a balance scale, symbolizing proportionate dharma and sincerity.","primary_figures":["a Vaishnava priest (ācārya)","householders of varied means","Vishnu as a subtle sanctum-presence (murti or aura)"],"setting":"Temple courtyard with a yajña-vedi, grain heaps, donation vessels, and a quiet line of devotees.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["warm ghee-gold","sandalwood beige","deep vermilion","leaf green","indigo shadow"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a South Indian temple courtyard dāna scene—Vishnu murti in a small sanctum niche with gold-leaf halo, priest blessing donors, heaps of grain and measured vessels; rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments, ornate archways, gold leaf embellishment emphasizing the sanctum and the offering bowls.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a gentle courtyard scene with refined faces and delicate brushwork—donors offering grain in varying amounts, a priest holding a small scale; cool palette with lyrical naturalism, distant hills and a small shrine, fine textile patterns and soft shading.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments—Vishnu’s presence as a radiant icon panel, priest and devotees in profile, stylized grain heaps and lamps; dominant red/yellow/green with characteristic large eyes and temple-wall composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a devotional charity tableau framed by intricate floral borders—lotus motifs around offering vessels, peacocks near the courtyard, a central Vishnu/Śrī motif above the altar; deep blues and gold accents, patterned textiles and symmetrical arrangement."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["temple bells","soft conch shell","murmured mantra","rustle of grain","brief silence between lines"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चतुर्भिर्मध्यमः → चतुर्भिः + मध्यमः; भाराभ्यामधमः → भाराभ्याम् + अधमः; र्द्धभारेण → अर्ध + भारेण; अर्धभारेणकुर्यात् → अर्धभारेण + कुर्यात्
FAQs
It ranks generosity by the amount given, but also emphasizes fairness: those with limited means should give smaller amounts without being burdened beyond their capacity.
No. While it grades gifts by quantity, it explicitly accommodates the poor, stating that a person with little wealth should give one bhāra or even half a bhāra—i.e., give proportionately.
“Bhāra” functions as a traditional measure of weight/quantity used to standardize gift amounts; the verse uses it to illustrate graded levels of dāna in concrete terms.