Shloka 22
Determination of the Householder’s Dharma
Dāna: Types, Recipients, Timing, and Fruits
ददाति यस्तु विप्राय सर्वं तरति दुष्कृतम् । घृतान्नमुदकुंभं च वैशाख्यां तु विशेषतः
dadāti yastu viprāya sarvaṃ tarati duṣkṛtam | ghṛtānnamudakuṃbhaṃ ca vaiśākhyāṃ tu viśeṣataḥ
ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣನಿಗೆ ದಾನ ಮಾಡುವವನು ಎಲ್ಲಾ ದುಷ್ಕೃತ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ದಾಟುತ್ತಾನೆ. ವಿಶೇಷವಾಗಿ ವೈಶಾಖ ಮಾಸದಲ್ಲಿ ತುಪ್ಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಬೇಯಿಸಿದ ಅನ್ನ ಹಾಗೂ ಜಲಕುಂಭವನ್ನು ದಾನ ಮಾಡಿದರೆ ಮಹಾಪುಣ್ಯ ಲಭಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.
Unspecified (narratorial injunction within the Svarga-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Dāna to a worthy brāhmaṇa—especially seasonally prescribed gifts—functions as a purifier that helps one ‘cross over’ demerit.
Application: In hot months, prioritize ‘cooling’ and sustaining gifts (water pot, nourishing food) to those engaged in study/service; pair charity with humility and a prayer for inner purification.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sun-warmed Vaiśākha morning outside a small Viṣṇu shrine: a householder offers a brass water-pot and a leaf-bowl of ghee-cooked rice to a serene brāhmaṇa seated on a kusa mat. In the background, mango blossoms and a shimmering heat-haze suggest the season, while temple flags flutter gently, implying that charity itself becomes a crossing-ford over sin.","primary_figures":["pious householder (dātā)","brāhmaṇa recipient","Viṣṇu (as shrine icon, subtle presence)"],"setting":"Temple forecourt with tulasi planter, kusa mat, brass vessels, and a shaded mandapa; early-summer landscape with mango trees.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["saffron gold","lotus pink","burnished brass","mango green","indigo shadow"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a Vaiśākha dāna scene before a small Viṣṇu shrine, the deity icon framed by ornate prabhāmaṇḍala with gold leaf, the donor offering a gleaming brass water-pot and ghee-rice; rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments on the shrine, intricate floral borders, luminous gold highlights on vessels and halo.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate donor and brāhmaṇa figures under a flowering mango tree near a modest temple pavilion, subtle heat-haze over pale earth tones, cool yet bright palette, refined faces, fine textile patterns, distant hills and a thin stream suggested as a life-giving motif.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, warm ochres and greens, donor in white dhoti offering a rounded water-pot, brāhmaṇa seated with palm-leaf manuscript nearby, Viṣṇu icon in the sanctum doorway with stylized eyes, temple lamp motifs, flat yet majestic composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a devotional courtyard with lotus and mango motifs, ornate borders of creepers and flowers, a central Viṣṇu shrine with deep blue accents, attendants and peacocks at the edges, the act of offering water-pot and ghee-food rendered with intricate textile patterning and gold detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["temple bells","soft conch shell","summer birds","faint crowd murmur","water poured into a pot"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yastu = yaḥ + tu. ghṛtānnam = ghṛta + annam. udakuṃbham = udaka + kumbham. vaiśākhyāṃ = vaiśākhyām (loc. sg.).
FAQs
The verse treats Vaiśākha as a specially meritorious period (māhātmya), where acts of dāna are said to yield amplified spiritual results—here, the overcoming of past wrongdoing.
It recommends ghṛtānna (ghee-prepared food) and an udakumbha (water-pot). Food sustains life and supports sacred study and worship, while water is a primary gift associated with relief, hospitality, and merit—especially in hot-season observances like Vaiśākha.
It links ethical repair to generosity: one should counteract harmful actions not only through regret but through tangible support of others—especially through life-sustaining gifts offered respectfully.