Shloka 57
Karmic Causality, Fate, and the Supremacy of Food-Charity
within Guru-tīrtha Glorification
पूर्वजन्मनि यद्दत्तं भक्त्या पात्रे सकृन्नरैः । जन्मांतरं सुसंप्राप्य नित्यमेव भुनक्ति च
pūrvajanmani yaddattaṃ bhaktyā pātre sakṛnnaraiḥ | janmāṃtaraṃ susaṃprāpya nityameva bhunakti ca
Apa pun yang pernah diberikan seseorang sekali saja, dengan bhakti, kepada penerima yang layak pada kelahiran terdahulu—setelah memperoleh kelahiran lain, ia senantiasa menikmati buahnya.
Unspecified (narratorial/teachings context within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa; commonly framed in the Bhīṣma–Pulastya dialogue in this khanda)
Concept: A single devotional gift to a worthy recipient becomes an enduring karmic seed that yields repeated enjoyment in later lives.
Application: Give intentionally: choose worthy channels (saints, genuine need, dharmic institutions), give with devotion, and avoid contempt or bargaining mentality.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A luminous thread of merit rises from a single act of giving—hands offering a small portion with folded humility—to a radiant ‘pātra’ seated in calm acceptance. The thread arcs across a starry band symbolizing saṁsāra, landing in a later-life scene where the same soul receives plentiful meals, suggesting the unseen continuity of karma.","primary_figures":["donor with folded humility","worthy recipient (brāhmaṇa/saint)","symbolic karmic thread/light"],"setting":"two-panel composition: foreground courtyard charity; background cosmic band of rebirth leading to a prosperous household","lighting_mood":"divine radiance with twilight undertones","color_palette":["ivory white","celestial blue","marigold gold","crimson","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: split-scene with ornate gold leaf—left panel shows devotional giving to a brāhmaṇa with embossed halos; right panel shows the donor reborn enjoying abundant food; gold filigree connects panels as a karmic vine, rich reds/greens, jeweled vessels and traditional iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical two-register narrative—top register a gentle act of dāna under a tree, bottom register a later-life feast; delicate linework, soft washes, refined expressions, subtle cosmic ribbon between scenes, cool mountain palette accents.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized figures with bold outlines; a serpentine golden band representing karma flows from offering bowl to a later-life granary; warm pigments, temple-wall composition, auspicious motifs (lotus, conch) framing the moral.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central medallion of offering with floral borders; surrounding vignettes show ‘phala’ as overflowing pots and shared meals; deep blue ground, gold highlights, peacocks and lotuses, devotional ambience implying Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure in charity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft tanpura drone","temple bells at intervals","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यद्दत्तं = यत् + दत्तम्; सकृन्नरैः = सकृत् + नरैः (त्→न् परसवर्ण); नित्यमेव = नित्यम् + एव; जन्मांतरं = जन्मान्तरम्; सुसंप्राप्य = सु + संप्राप्य.
FAQs
It teaches that even a single act of charity performed with devotion and given to a worthy recipient yields enduring karmic results that carry across births.
Because the merit (puṇya) of dāna is traditionally understood to depend on the fitness of the recipient; giving to a proper “vessel” preserves and amplifies the spiritual efficacy of the gift.
Practice sincere, devotion-filled generosity—prioritizing integrity in both intention (bhakti) and discernment (pātra)—since its benefits are not fleeting but shape one’s future experiences.