Shloka 77
The Glory of Śrāddha at Sacred Fords and the Determination of the Kutapa Time
धान्यप्रदानं प्रवरं वदंति वसुप्रदानं च तथामुनींद्राः । गया सुतीर्थेषु नरैः प्रदत्तं तद्धर्महेतुं प्रवरं वदंति
dhānyapradānaṃ pravaraṃ vadaṃti vasupradānaṃ ca tathāmunīṃdrāḥ | gayā sutīrtheṣu naraiḥ pradattaṃ taddharmahetuṃ pravaraṃ vadaṃti
മുനീന്ദ്രന്മാർ ധാന്യദാനം ശ്രേഷ്ഠമാണെന്നും ധനദാനവും അതുപോലെ ഉത്തമമാണെന്നും പറയുന്നു. എന്നാൽ ഗയാ മുതലായ പുണ്യതീർത്ഥങ്ങളിൽ മനുഷ്യർ നൽകുന്ന ദാനം ധർമ്മഫലത്തിന് പരമ കാരണമെന്നു അവർ പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു.
Unspecified (narrative voice citing ‘munīndrāḥ’—the sages).
Concept: While grain and wealth gifts are excellent, gifts given at Gayā and other holy fords become supremely meritorious as causes of dharma.
Application: Practice generosity strategically: give where it most relieves suffering and supports sacred learning/service; when visiting pilgrimage sites, combine worship with meaningful charity (anna-dāna, dakṣiṇā, support for pilgrims).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A bustling tīrtha-ghāṭa at Gayā: pilgrims distribute sacks of grain and coins to ascetics and the poor, while priests chant beside offerings. The air seems charged—each gift becomes a visible thread of light rising upward, weaving into a radiant tapestry labeled ‘dharma’ in symbolic form.","primary_figures":["pilgrims (donors)","munīndrāḥ (sages)","brāhmaṇas","poor recipients/wayfarers"],"setting":"holy ford with stone steps, banyan shade, donation area with grain measures, temple flags, and ritual platforms","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sunrise gold","river jade","cloth white","vermillion","deep indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Gayā ghāṭa scene with donors offering grain (dhānya) and wealth (vasu) to sages and brāhmaṇas; gold leaf used to render luminous ‘merit threads’ rising from gifts; rich red-green garments, ornate borders, temple arch framing, gem-studded vessels and measures.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lively yet refined ghāṭa with small groups giving alms; delicate rendering of grain baskets and coin pouches; subtle glowing lines indicating heightened merit at the tīrtha; cool palette with warm sunrise wash, lyrical landscape and distant shrine.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized procession of donors and sages; patterned grain heaps; bold outlines and flat color fields; a top band of symbolic dharma-light rising from the ford; traditional pigment palette and temple-wall composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: tīrtha charity scene framed by lotus and creeper borders; peacocks and cows at margins; deep blue ground with gold highlights; central ford rendered as a lotus-shaped pool; intricate floral motifs emphasizing abundance and auspicious giving."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["crowd murmur","coin clink","rustle of grain","temple bells","river flow"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वदंति → वदन्ति (मानक-रूप); तथामुनींद्राः = तथा + मुनीन्द्राः (आ + मु → आमु); तद्धर्महेतुं = तत् + धर्महेतुम् (त् + ध → द्ध)।
FAQs
It praises both food-giving (grain) and wealth-giving as excellent forms of dāna, framing them as ethically and religiously elevating acts.
The verse states that offerings made at Gayā and other sacred fords become a particularly powerful ‘cause of dharma,’ implying that sacred place and intention amplify the spiritual fruit of giving.
Support others through practical generosity—especially food and resources—and treat sacred contexts as reminders to deepen sincerity and responsibility in giving.