Shloka 143
Karma, Non-Violence, Tīrtha & Gaṅgā Merit, Vaiṣṇava Protection, Śālagrāma Worship, and Ekādaśī as Deliverance
कीटकोपि मृतो याति वैकुंठं भवनं परम् । शालग्रामशिलाचक्रं यो दद्याद्दानमुत्तमम्
kīṭakopi mṛto yāti vaikuṃṭhaṃ bhavanaṃ param | śālagrāmaśilācakraṃ yo dadyāddānamuttamam
ഒരു കീടം പോലും മരണാനന്തരം പരമധാമമായ വൈകുണ്ഠത്തെ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു; ആരെങ്കിലും ചക്രചിഹ്നധാരിയായ ശാലഗ്രാമശിലയെ ഉത്തമ ദാനമായി അർപ്പിച്ചാൽ.
Unspecified (context-dependent; commonly framed within Pulastya–Bhīṣma narration in Padma Purāṇa)
Concept: Viṣṇu’s grace, accessed through honoring His svarūpa (Śālagrāma) and giving it as dāna, overrides ordinary limitations of birth/species; devotion-linked charity becomes a vehicle of liberation.
Application: Practice sacred generosity: support temples, distribute prasāda, sponsor worship, and give with the intention of connecting others to Viṣṇu; cultivate compassion for all beings, seeing liberation as universally possible through grace.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A devotee offers a cakra-marked Śālagrāma on a silk cloth to a priest before a Viṣṇu shrine; at the edge of the scene, a tiny insect rests near the sanctified space, and a subtle, luminous pathway rises from it toward a distant vision of Vaikuṇṭha. In the sky, Viṣṇu’s celestial city appears with jeweled gates and lotus lakes, suggesting that grace can lift even the smallest creature.","primary_figures":["Śālagrāma-śilā with cakra mark","Vaishnava donor","temple priest","Vishnu (vision of Vaikuṇṭha)","small insect (symbolic)"],"setting":"Temple interior opening into a visionary celestial panorama; offering platform with lamps, conch, and garlands.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sapphire blue","gold leaf","pearl white","ruby red","emerald green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: opulent Viṣṇu shrine with gold leaf, gem-studded ornaments; donor presenting a cakra-marked Śālagrāma on a silk cloth; embossed golden aura around the stone; in the upper register, Vaikuṇṭha with jeweled towers and lotus ponds; a tiny insect near the threshold highlighted by a thin gold ray ascending upward, ornate borders and rich reds/greens.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate temple scene with refined figures; the Śālagrāma’s cakra mark carefully detailed; a small insect near a lamp, and a faint, misty celestial city in the sky; cool blues and soft golds, lyrical naturalism, gentle expressions emphasizing compassion and grace.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, saturated pigments; central offering of Śālagrāma with a radiant mandala; Vaikuṇṭha depicted in a stylized upper panel with Viṣṇu seated, attendants and lotus motifs; the insect rendered symbolically at the base with a rising aura line, red/yellow/green palette and temple-wall symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Krishna/Vishnu-centered devotional composition with deep blue ground and gold highlights; central Śālagrāma offering framed by lotus borders, peacocks and floral vines; upper area shows Vaikuṇṭha as a lotus-city; tiny insect near the bottom border with a golden lotus trail ascending, intricate textile patterns and conch motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"celebratory","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["conch shell","temple bells","soft chorus of 'Nārāyaṇa'","flutter of garlands","resonant silence at 'Vaikuṇṭha'"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kīṭakaḥ+api→kīṭakopi; dadyāt+dānam→dadyāddānam; śilā+cakram→śilācakram (compound).
FAQs
It teaches the extraordinary salvific merit attributed to gifting a Śālagrāma stone—so powerful that it is said to grant even the lowest being (symbolized by an insect) access to Vaikuṇṭha.
By highlighting a Viṣṇu-centered sacred object (Śālagrāma) and the devotional act of dāna, it frames liberation as accessible through reverent service and offerings connected to Viṣṇu.
It promotes generosity directed toward sacred, dharmic purposes and underscores that sincere religious giving can have far-reaching spiritual consequences beyond ordinary social benefit.