Shloka 41
The Glory of Charity: Land-Gifts, Śālagrāma Donation, and Food–Water as Supreme Gifts
अन्नं वारि द्विजश्रेष्ठ येन दत्तं महीतले । तेन दत्तानि दानानि सर्वाणि च द्विजर्षभ
annaṃ vāri dvijaśreṣṭha yena dattaṃ mahītale | tena dattāni dānāni sarvāṇi ca dvijarṣabha
Wahai brahmana terbaik, di bumi ini siapa yang menganugerahkan makanan dan air, sesungguhnya ia telah memberikan segala sedekah—wahai yang utama di antara kaum dwija.
Unknown (context not provided; verse addresses a brāhmaṇa directly: 'dvijaśreṣṭha', 'dvijarṣabha')
Concept: Anna and water-giving subsume all gifts because they sustain life and enable all other religious acts.
Application: Prioritize feeding and offering drinking water—support food banks, anna-kṣetra, water pots for travelers, and hospitality to guests; treat it as daily worship.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A humble brāhmaṇa household courtyard becomes a sanctified altar: a donor pours cool water from a brass lotā while offering steaming rice and flatbreads on a leaf-plate to a weary traveler. In the background, an unseen presence of Hari is suggested through a faint lotus-and-conch aura, implying that service to beings is service to Viṣṇu.","primary_figures":["brāhmaṇa donor","traveler/guest (atithi)","subtle symbolic presence of Hari (aura/śaṅkha-cakra motif)"],"setting":"village courtyard with tulasī-vṛndāvana nearby, earthen stove, banana-leaf plates, water pot at the gate for passersby","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["saffron ochre","lotus pink","copper bronze","indigo shadow","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a devotional courtyard anna-jala dāna scene, donor in traditional dhoti offering rice and water to an atithi; behind them a stylized Viṣṇu aura with śaṅkha-cakra-padma motifs, heavy gold leaf embellishment on vessels and halo, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments, ornate arch frame, South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate village hospitality—delicate brushwork showing a donor offering food and water, cool morning air, distant trees and a small tulasī shrine, refined faces, soft pastel sky, lyrical naturalism and gentle gestures.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; central figures of donor and guest, stylized lotā and rice bowl, a faint Viṣṇu emblematic halo, temple-wall aesthetic with red/yellow/green dominance and large expressive eyes.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: anna-jala dāna framed by lotus borders and floral vines; subtle Krishna-Viṣṇu presence as śaṅkha-cakra symbols above, peacocks near the tulasī vṛndāvana, deep blues and gold accents, intricate textile-like patterning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["temple bells (distant)","water pouring","morning birds","soft conch shell (faint)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: महीतले = मही + तले (समास); दत्तानि दानानि = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त + प्रथमा बहुवचन; द्विजर्षभ = द्विज + ऋषभ (समास)
FAQs
It teaches that donating food and water is equivalent to offering every kind of charity, because these sustain life directly.
They are universal necessities; giving them is immediate life-support and therefore considered the essence of compassionate giving (dāna).
Prioritize practical compassion—feed and give water to those in need—treating such support as a complete form of charitable duty.