Shloka 32

Prahlada's Instructions to Bali — Prahlada’s Instructions to Bali on Vishnu Worship, Monthly Gifts, and Building Hari’s Temple

Devanagari script

रजतं कनकं दीपान् मणिमुक्ताफलादिकम् दामोदरस्य तुष्ट्यर्थं प्रदद्यात् कार्तिके नरः

Transliteration

rajataṃ kanakaṃ dīpān maṇimuktāphalādikam dāmodarasya tuṣṭyarthaṃ pradadyāt kārtike naraḥ

Translation

കാർത്തിക മാസത്തിൽ ദാമോദരന്റെ തൃപ്തിക്കായി മനുഷ്യൻ വെള്ളി, സ്വർണം, ദീപങ്ങൾ, മണി-മുത്ത് മുതലായവ ദാനം ചെയ്യണം।

Speakers

• Purāṇic prescriptive voice continuing the month-wise dāna list (speaker not specified in the provided excerpt).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Dāmodara)

Key Themes

• Dāna (Charity)
• Kārtika observances
• Dīpa-dāna (lamp-gift)
• Devotional Vaiṣṇavism
• Merit through gifting precious materials

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why is Kārtika linked with lamp-gifts (dīpa-dāna) in Purāṇic practice?

Kārtika is widely treated as a month of heightened religious merit, and lamp-offerings symbolize dispelling ignorance and honoring divine presence. This verse aligns with that broader Kārtika ethos by explicitly listing dīpas among the gifts.

What is the theological nuance of addressing Viṣṇu as Dāmodara here?

Dāmodara evokes the intimate, bhakti-centered Kṛṣṇa who is ‘bound’ by love. In a dāna list, the name shifts emphasis from purely cosmic sovereignty to personal devotion—charity as an act of affectionate worship.

Do ‘silver, gold, jewels, pearls’ indicate mandatory gifts?

The optative phrasing (‘should give’) is prescriptive but typically understood within dharma’s principle of capacity (yathā-śakti). The list also functions as an ideal scale of meritorious gifts rather than a universal minimum requirement.