Shloka 109
Vrata–Dāna Compendium at Puṣkara: Puṣpavāhana’s Account and the Ṣaṣṭhī-vrata Purification Rite
इंधनं यो ददेद्विप्रे वर्षादींश्चतुरस्त्वृतून् । घृतधेनुप्रदोंते च स परं ब्रह्म गच्छति
iṃdhanaṃ yo dadedvipre varṣādīṃścaturastvṛtūn | ghṛtadhenupradoṃte ca sa paraṃ brahma gacchati
വർഷകാലം മുതലായ നാല് ഋതുക്കളിലും ബ്രാഹ്മണനു ഇന്ധനമരങ്ങൾ ദാനം ചെയ്ത്, ജീവിതാന്ത്യത്തിൽ ഘൃതധേനുവും ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ പരബ്രഹ്മത്തെ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.
Not explicitly stated in the provided excerpt (contextual narrator/teacher voice within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa).
Concept: Sustaining others’ dharmic life through practical gifts (fuel through seasons; ghṛta-dhenū at life’s end) becomes a direct cause for liberation-oriented attainment.
Application: Practice ‘seasonal charity’: support food/heat/education needs cyclically; plan an end-of-life legacy gift (dāna/charitable trust) aligned with dharma.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A village-edge āśrama through changing seasons: monsoon clouds, autumn clarity, winter hush, spring bloom—each panel shows the donor bringing bundles of firewood to a brāhmaṇa’s hearth. In the final panel, an elderly donor offers a symbolic ‘ghṛta-dhenū’—a cow associated with ghee—signifying life’s essence given back to dharma.","primary_figures":["donor (householder)","brāhmaṇa","ghṛta-dhenū (symbolic ghee-cow)"],"setting":"āśrama with hearth/fireplace, woodpile, seasonal trees and sky shifts","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["monsoon slate","autumn amber","winter silver","spring green","ghee gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: triptych/four-panel seasonal narrative around an āśrama hearth, donor presenting firewood in each season, final panel with ghṛta-dhenū offering, gold-leaf highlights on flames and ghee vessels, rich maroons and greens, ornate borders with repeating flame and lotus motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical seasonal sequence with delicate brushwork—rain-washed hills, crisp autumn trees, pale winter sky, flowering spring—small intimate figures exchanging firewood, final scene with a gentle cow and a shining ghee pot, soft pastel palette and refined facial features.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined seasonal bands stacked vertically, stylized trees and clouds, hearth flame rendered in rhythmic curves, donor and brāhmaṇa in iconic poses, dominant reds/yellows/greens with gold-like ochre for ghee elements.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: decorative seasonal mandala around a central sacred hearth, floral borders shifting by season, cows and ghee pots as repeating motifs, deep blue background with gold and saffron highlights, lotus vines framing the act of dāna as continuous worship."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["rainfall","crackling fire","wind through trees","distant cow bells","quiet mantra undertone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ददेत् + विप्रे → ददेद्विप्रे; वर्षादीन् + चतुरः → वर्षादींश्चतुरः; चतुरः + तु + ऋतून् → चतुरस्त्वृतून्; प्रदः + अन्ते → प्रदोऽन्ते (IAST: pradoṃte); verse has orthographic nasalization in IAST.
FAQs
It praises dāna (charitable giving): providing fuel-wood to a brāhmaṇa through the cycle of the four seasons, and additionally offering a “ghṛta-dhenu” (a richly endowed cow-gift associated with ghee) as a culminating act.
It presents sustained, need-based giving—supporting ritual life and livelihood (fuel for fire rites, cow-gift at life’s end)—as meritorious conduct that culminates in attaining the Supreme Brahman (paraṃ brahma), i.e., the highest spiritual goal.
It teaches consistency and timeliness in generosity: giving what is practically essential (fuel) across changing seasons and completing life with a significant, selfless gift, framing charity as a disciplined spiritual practice rather than a one-time act.