Shloka 47
Episode of King Vena: Deceptive Doctrine, Compassion, and the Contest over Dharma
वेदा न वेदा राजेंद्र ब्राह्मणाः सत्यवर्जिताः । दानस्यापि फलं नास्ति तस्माद्दानं न दीयते
vedā na vedā rājeṃdra brāhmaṇāḥ satyavarjitāḥ | dānasyāpi phalaṃ nāsti tasmāddānaṃ na dīyate
ಹೇ ರಾಜೇಂದ್ರ! ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣರು ಸತ್ಯವರ್ಜಿತರಾದರೆ ವೇದಗಳೂ ವೇದಗಳಾಗಿರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಆಗ ದಾನಕ್ಕೂ ಫಲವಿಲ್ಲ; ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಅಂಥ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ದಾನ ನೀಡಬಾರದು।
Unspecified (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa Adhyaya 37)
Concept: When custodians of dharma lack truth, even Vedic recitation and charity lose efficacy; discernment in giving is required.
Application: Practice ‘wise charity’: verify integrity, support genuine service, avoid enabling exploitation; pair generosity with satya and dayā.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king stands at a charity pavilion with heaps of grain and gold, but the recipients—robed priests—cast greedy glances and hide their hands. A luminous scale appears in the air: on one side ‘satya’ shines heavy like gold, on the other empty ritual scrolls weigh nothing; the king withdraws the gift and redirects it toward a humble, truthful ascetic.","primary_figures":["a king (rājendra)","greedy brāhmaṇas (symbolic)","a humble truthful ascetic","personified Satya as a radiant figure or symbol"],"setting":"dāna-śālā (charity pavilion) near a temple courtyard, with banners, offering vessels, and a distant tulasi shrine","lighting_mood":"dramatic moral chiaroscuro","color_palette":["royal blue","burnished gold","ivory white","crimson","shadow umber"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: the king in regal attire pauses mid-gift, a golden balance with ‘satya’ glowing; greedy priests in the background, a humble ascetic in front; heavy gold leaf on the scale, halos, and ornaments, rich reds/greens, temple pillars and lamps, crisp iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined courtly pavilion, delicate gestures showing the king’s restraint; a subtle ethereal scale motif in pale gold; cool palette with detailed textiles, gentle landscape beyond, expressive faces conveying greed vs sincerity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, the king’s decisive posture, stylized balance symbol, contrasting facial expressions; red-yellow-green pigments, ornamental border with conch and lotus, temple-courtyard backdrop.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central scene framed by floral borders; the balance motif surrounded by lotus petals; deep indigo with gold highlights, small cows and peacocks, the king’s redirected dāna shown as a stream of golden dots flowing toward the humble ascetic."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","murmur of a crowd","coin clink softened","brief silence at the moral turn"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: rājeṃdra = राजेन्द्र (anusvāra/ṃ for nasalization in IAST); dānasyāpi = दानस्य + अपि; nāsti = न + अस्ति; tasmāddānaṃ = तस्मात् + दानम् (final t + d sandhi).
FAQs
It is a moral critique: without satya (truthfulness), even those associated with Vedic learning lose ethical credibility, making “Veda” functionally ineffective in society.
No. It warns that giving to recipients who are “satya-varjita” (devoid of truth) is spiritually unfruitful; it implies discernment (pātra-apātra-viveka) in dāna.
Truth is foundational to dharma; ritual status or learning without truth undermines both religious authority and the merit of charitable acts.