Shloka 50
Determination of the Householder’s Dharma
Dāna: Types, Recipients, Timing, and Fruits
प्रदद्याद्ब्राह्मणेभ्यस्तु मुदायुक्तः सदा भवेत् । औषधं स्नेहमाहारं रोगिणो रोगशांतये
pradadyādbrāhmaṇebhyastu mudāyuktaḥ sadā bhavet | auṣadhaṃ snehamāhāraṃ rogiṇo rogaśāṃtaye
ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കു ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ സദാ ആനന്ദയുക്തനാകും; രോഗിയുടെ രോഗശാന്തിക്കായി ഔഷധം, സ്നേഹം (എണ്ണ/നെയ്യ്) കൂടാതെ ആഹാരവും നൽകണം.
Unspecified (narrative instruction within Svarga-khaṇḍa; commonly framed as Pulastya instructing Bhīṣma in this section)
Concept: Give to brāhmaṇas with gladness; provide medicine, oils/unctuous remedies, and food to the sick to pacify disease.
Application: Practice ‘muda-yukta’ dāna—give without resentment; volunteer for patient care, donate medicines, fund treatment, cook for caregivers; cultivate inner joy through gratitude and remembrance of Vishnu while serving.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a simple hut-turned-clinic near a temple, a devotee offers a small pouch of herbs, a bowl of warm oil, and nourishing gruel to a fevered patient resting on a cot. In the doorway, brāhmaṇas receive alms with blessings, while the donor’s face shows calm gladness—charity performed as worship rather than obligation.","primary_figures":["devotee caregiver/donor","sick person (rogī)","brāhmaṇa recipients","attendant holding lamp or water pot"],"setting":"Village healing room adjacent to a temple courtyard; herbs, mortar-pestle, oil vessel, food bowl","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["warm amber","herb green","cotton white","earth umber","vermillion accent"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: compassionate healing scene—donor offering herbs and a golden oil vessel to a patient on a cot; nearby brāhmaṇas receiving dāna with blessing gestures; gold leaf on lamp flames, halos, and vessels; rich maroon and emerald textiles, ornate borders, traditional South Indian facial stylization and jewelry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate interior with delicate shading; patient resting, caregiver offering medicine and food; brāhmaṇas at the threshold; soft light and tender expressions; cool background tones with warm amber highlights, refined linework and gentle domestic realism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized patient and caregiver; prominent oil vessel and herb bundle; brāhmaṇas in a rhythmic row; strong red/yellow/green palette, temple-wall composition with decorative floral borders and auspicious motifs.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional seva tableau framed by lotus borders; caregiver’s offerings arranged symmetrically; subtle Vishnu/Krishna presence via small shrine niche with śaṅkha-cakra; deep blue and gold accents, intricate floral patterns, peacocks at corners to signify auspicious compassion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","oil lamp flicker","low chanting","gentle coughing","silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रदद्याद्ब्राह्मणेभ्यस्तु = प्रदद्यात् + ब्राह्मणेभ्यः + तु; स्नेहमाहारं = स्नेहम् + आहारम्. ‘रोगिणो’ used in dative sense (to the sick) though form matches genitive/ablative singular; treated as dative by context.
FAQs
It recommends giving to brāhmaṇas, and specifically aiding the sick by providing medicine, healing oils/unctuous remedies, and nourishing food.
It links dharma with compassionate, practical service—supporting religious recipients (brāhmaṇas) and relieving suffering through direct care for the ill.
They represent a complete form of care: treatment (auṣadha), supportive therapy/comfort (sneha), and sustenance (āhāra), all aimed at reducing the illness.