Shloka 123
The Tale of the Five Pretas and the Glory of Puṣkara & the Eastern Sarasvatī
तत्राल्पमपि यैर्दानं दत्तं ब्रह्मविदात्मनाम् । जन्मांतरशतं तेषां तैर्दत्तं भावितात्मनाम्
tatrālpamapi yairdānaṃ dattaṃ brahmavidātmanām | janmāṃtaraśataṃ teṣāṃ tairdattaṃ bhāvitātmanām
അവിടെ ബ്രഹ്മവിദ്-സ്വഭാവമുള്ള മഹാത്മാക്കൾക്കു നൽകിയ അല്പദാനവും, ശുദ്ധചിത്ത ദാതാവിന് നൂറുകണക്കിന് ജന്മാന്തരങ്ങൾ വരെ നിലനിൽക്കുന്ന മഹാപുണ്യമായി മാറുന്നു।
Not specified in the provided excerpt (verse appears as part of an ongoing narration/dialogue in Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa).
Concept: Dāna gains extraordinary potency when given in a sanctified place to realized recipients, and when performed with a purified mind; small acts can yield vast, multi-life merit.
Application: Give consistently, even in small amounts; prioritize worthy causes/teachers; cultivate inner purity and humility so the act becomes transformative rather than transactional.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At the banyan-shaded ghāṭa, a householder offers a small handful of coins or grain into the hands of a serene brahmavid sage, whose calm gaze reflects inner realization. The offering glows subtly, as if the tīrtha itself multiplies its meaning, while faint silhouettes of future lifetimes appear like layered reflections on the water’s surface.","primary_figures":["Householder donor","Brahmavid sage(s)","Tīrtha attendants/pilgrims (optional)"],"setting":"Śuddhāvaṭa ford with steps, banyan roots, simple alms-bowl, and a small shrine marker; quiet water reflecting both figures.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["warm ghee-gold","earth brown","leaf green","river blue-gray","cloth saffron"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Donor offering a small dāna at a ghāṭa beneath a stylized banyan, brahmavid sage seated with serene halo; gold leaf highlighting the offering and sacred aura, rich red/green garments, embossed borders with lotus motifs, jewel-like detailing on vessels and ornaments, devotional clarity emphasizing merit.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Gentle scene of charity by the river, refined faces and soft gestures; banyan branches arch overhead, water reflecting layered ‘past/future’ motifs in subtle washes; muted earth tones with saffron accents, delicate brushwork and intimate moral tenderness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Bold outlined donor and sage, symbolic glow around the dāna; banyan and ghāṭa rendered in rhythmic patterns, warm red-yellow-green palette, temple-wall narrative framing with ornamental borders and stylized water ripples.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Central act of dāna framed by ornate floral and lotus borders; banyan leaves patterned like a canopy, the offering rendered in gold-white highlights; deep blue background with intricate motifs, small pilgrim figures as decorative elements, sacred textile aesthetic."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft bells","murmured mantras","flowing water","rustling banyan leaves","tanpura drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्राल्पमपि = तत्र + अल्पम् + अपि; यैर्दानं = यैः + दानम्; जन्मांतरशतं = जन्मान्तरशतम्; तैर्दत्तं = तैः + दत्तम्.
FAQs
It teaches that even a small act of charity becomes immensely fruitful when offered to Brahman-realized sages, generating merit that persists across many lifetimes.
They are those whose very self is rooted in Brahman-knowledge—realized ascetics or sages whose insight and life are grounded in spiritual realization.
It emphasizes intentional, respectful giving to worthy recipients and underscores that purity of mind and the spiritual stature of the recipient amplify the transformative power of dāna.