Shloka 5
Means to Attain Vaikuṇṭha: The Glory of House-Donation and the Viṣṇudūtas–Yamadūtas Episode
विष्णवे सौधगेहं यो दद्याद्वै ब्राह्मणाय च । हरेर्न्निकेतनं प्राप्य स्वर्गवासी भवेद्ध्रुवम्
viṣṇave saudhagehaṃ yo dadyādvai brāhmaṇāya ca | harernniketanaṃ prāpya svargavāsī bhaveddhruvam
വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെ നിമിത്തമായി ദൃഢവും മനോഹരവുമായ ഗൃഹം ദാനം ചെയ്ത് അത് ബ്രാഹ്മണനു അർപ്പിക്കുന്നവൻ ഹരിയുടെ നികേതനം പ്രാപിച്ച് നിശ്ചയമായി സ്വർഗ്ഗവാസിയാകും।
Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within Brahma-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Offering substantial shelter as dāna to Viṣṇu and to a brāhmaṇa yields assured attainment of Hari’s abode and heavenly residence—emphasizing certainty (dhruvam) of karmic fruit when aligned with devotion.
Application: Channel resources into durable dharmic infrastructure—temple repairs, pilgrim rest houses, study halls, housing for priests/students—while dedicating the act to Hari (saṅkalpa + arpana).
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A grand, well-built house with carved pillars and a clean threshold is ceremonially donated: the donor presents keys and a water-libation to a brāhmaṇa while a Viṣṇu banner flutters above the doorway. In the sky above, a faint vision of Hari’s abode appears like a promise—an architectural echo of the gift transformed into a celestial homecoming.","primary_figures":["Viṣṇu (symbolic presence via banner/icon)","brāhmaṇa recipient","donor and family","ritual priest/witnesses"],"setting":"Town-edge or temple-adjacent neighborhood with a newly constructed house, ritual pavilion, and Viṣṇu shrine nearby.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["antique gold","deep maroon","stone gray","turquoise blue","ivory"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: ornate donation ceremony before a well-built house—Viṣṇu icon with gold leaf halo, donor offering water and symbolic keys to a brāhmaṇa, embossed gold on pillars and jewelry, rich reds/greens, intricate architectural motifs and traditional South Indian ornamentation.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined courtyard architecture with delicate shading, donor family in elegant garments, brāhmaṇa receiving dāna near a small Viṣṇu shrine, a soft celestial vignette of Hari’s abode in the upper corner, cool palette and lyrical detail.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized house façade with rhythmic patterns, bold outlines, donor and brāhmaṇa in formal poses, Viṣṇu symbols (chakra, śaṅkha) on a banner, warm pigment palette with decorative borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical doorway framed by lotus and floral borders, central Viṣṇu emblem above the lintel, donor offering dāna to brāhmaṇa, peacocks and cows as auspicious motifs, deep blues and gold accents with intricate textile-like patterning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["ritual chanting","temple bells","conch shell","footsteps on stone","soft crowd murmur"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: हरेः + निकेतनम् → हरेर्न्निकेतनं (रेफ + नकारे द्वित्व/अनुस्वार-लोप लेखनभेद); भवेत् + ध्रुवम् → भवेद्ध्रुवम् (त्/द्-परिवर्तन, ध्-आगमे संधि)।
FAQs
The verse praises dāna (charitable gifting), specifically the donation of a well-built house, framed as an offering to Viṣṇu and as a gift to a brāhmaṇa.
The promised result is attaining Hari’s abode and certainly becoming a dweller in heaven (svarga).
It teaches the merit of generosity and supporting sacred/socially revered recipients (here, Viṣṇu as the divine principle of offering, and brāhmaṇas as recipients), presenting charity as a path to spiritual reward.