Shloka 38
The Glory of Charity: Land-Gifts, Śālagrāma Donation, and Food–Water as Supreme Gifts
यो नरः पुस्तकं दद्याद्भक्तिश्रद्धासमन्वितः । प्रतिवर्णं लभेत्पुण्यं कपिलाकोटिदानजम्
yo naraḥ pustakaṃ dadyādbhaktiśraddhāsamanvitaḥ | prativarṇaṃ labhetpuṇyaṃ kapilākoṭidānajam
ഭക്തിയും ശ്രദ്ധയും സഹിതം പുസ്തകം ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ, ഓരോ അക്ഷരത്തിനും കപിലാ-കോടി ദാനജന്യമായ പുണ്യം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു।
Unspecified narrator (context-dependent within Brahma-khaṇḍa 24)
Concept: Donating a book with bhakti and śraddhā yields immense puṇya—merit accruing per letter—surpassing even vast cow-gifts.
Application: Support printing/distribution of sacred texts, commentaries, and ethical learning; donate to libraries/teachers; share digital texts responsibly with reverence and accuracy.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A devotee offers a beautifully wrapped manuscript to a humble student-priest, and as the book opens, luminous Sanskrit letters rise like fireflies, forming a halo that hints at countless cow-gifts. The scene visualizes ‘akṣara-puṇya’—each letter becoming a radiant seed of merit.","primary_figures":["devotee donor","brāhmaṇa recipient","personified Sanskrit akṣaras (as light forms)","Śrī Hari (subtle blessing presence)"],"setting":"Temple courtyard with a tulasī-vṛndāvana nearby, manuscript stand, oil lamps, and a small altar with conch and bell.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lamp gold","manuscript ochre","midnight indigo","vermillion","jade green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: donor presenting a palm-leaf manuscript with gold-leaf borders; embossed akṣaras rising as golden motifs; temple pillars and arch with rich reds/greens; subtle Viṣṇu emblem above; gem-studded ornamentation and thick relief work on the manuscript cover and halos.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate courtyard scene with delicate textiles and refined faces; manuscript opened with tiny glowing letters drifting upward; cool indigo shadows, soft gold highlights; distant temple spire and flowering shrubs for lyrical naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized manuscript with bold akṣara patterns; donor and recipient in formal poses; lamp flames and lotus motifs; strong red-yellow-green palette, black outlines, sanctum-like symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central manuscript framed by lotus and floral borders; akṣaras as decorative gold motifs swirling upward; tulasī shrine and peacocks at corners; deep blue ground with intricate ornamentation, Nathdwara-inspired symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"celebratory","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","pages rustling","conch shell (brief)","soft crowd murmur (distant)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दद्याद्भक्ति... = दद्यात् + भक्ति...; भक्तिश्रद्धासमन्वितः = भक्ति + श्रद्धा + समन्वितः (समास/समाहार); लभेत्पुण्यं = लभेत् + पुण्यम्; कपिलाकोटिदानजम् = कपिला + कोटि + दान + जम् (समास)
FAQs
The verse stresses that the gift should be given with bhakti (devotion) and śraddhā (faith); the inner attitude is central to the fruit.
Cow-gifting is a classical high-merit donation in Dharma texts; the comparison elevates pustaka-dāna by stating its merit per letter equals an immense traditional benchmark.
It teaches that supporting knowledge and scripture through giving is profoundly meritorious, especially when done sincerely rather than for display.