Vamana Purana — Merit of Shravana Dvadashi, Shloka 65

The Merit of Śravaṇa-Dvādaśī and the Liberation of a Preta through Gayā Piṇḍa-Rites

Devanagari script

शय्यासनस्थानमात्रं स्वेच्छयान्नभुजक्रिया एतावद् दीयते तेभ्यो नार्थभागहरा हि ते

Transliteration

śayyāsanasthānamātraṃ svecchayānnabhujakriyā etāvad dīyate tebhyo nārthabhāgaharā hi te

Translation

Kepada mereka hanya diberikan tempat tidur, tempat duduk, dan tempat tinggal, serta—sesuai kehendak—kesempatan untuk makan; hanya sebatas itu, sebab mereka bukan penerima bagian harta.

Speakers

• Narrator/teacher-figure speaking within a didactic family-property dispute (exact interlocutors not named in the given verses).

Key Themes

• Dharma (righteous conduct)
• Hospitality and minimal maintenance (bed/seat/food)
• Property rights and inheritance shares (bhāga)
• Non-appropriation / limits of entitlement

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "karuna", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the practical rule stated here—charity or legal entitlement?

The verse distinguishes basic support (lodging/seat/food) from proprietary entitlement. It frames certain persons as eligible for maintenance but not as claimants to an ‘artha-bhāga’ (a legal share of wealth).

Who are ‘they’ (tebhyaḥ) likely to be in context?

Given the immediate discussion of a ‘paitṛka gṛha’ (ancestral house) in the next verse, ‘they’ plausibly refers to persons maintained in a household—dependents/guests/retainers—who may be supported but do not inherit a property share.

Why does the verse list bed, seat, and place separately?

It enumerates the minimum markers of shelter and hospitality: rest (śayyā), sitting/receiving (āsana), and residence (sthāna). The point is to cap obligations at sustenance and shelter, not wealth transfer.