Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 58
The Nature of Knowledge, the Guru as Living Tīrtha, and the Law of Final Remembrance
गो भू स्वर्णाम्बुधान्यानां कुरु दानं महामते । दानान्नश्यति वै पापं ब्रह्मवध्यादिघोरकम्
go bhū svarṇāmbudhānyānāṃ kuru dānaṃ mahāmate | dānānnaśyati vai pāpaṃ brahmavadhyādighorakam
हे महामते! गाय, भूमी, सुवर्ण, जल व धान्य यांचे दान कर. अशा दानाने ब्रह्महत्या इत्यादी घोर पापही निःसंशय नष्ट होते.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (contextual dialogue in Padma Purana Bhūmi-khaṇḍa, often framed as Pulastya instructing Bhīṣma).
Concept: Dāna (charity) is a potent purifier capable of erasing even grave sins when performed with proper intent and recipients.
Application: Adopt ‘fivefold dāna’ monthly: food, water, learning support, medical aid, and a small savings-to-charity portion; prioritize worthy recipients and humility.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A compassionate teacher-figure instructs a king beside a granary and cow-pen, while attendants distribute sacks of grain and pots of water to travelers and brāhmaṇas. The atmosphere is cleansing: dark, smoky shadows labeled ‘pāpa’ seem to dissolve as each gift changes hands.","primary_figures":["King (bhūpati)","sage/teacher (contextual narrator)","brāhmaṇas","villagers","cows"],"setting":"Royal donation hall opening onto a village edge: cow-shed, grain storehouse, and a public water-stand (pānīya-śālā) near a roadside banyan.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["earth brown","saffron","milk white","leaf green","copper"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: king seated on a low throne offering go-dāna and anna-dāna; cows with decorated horns, brāhmaṇas receiving gifts; gold leaf highlights on vessels and jewelry; rich red-green textiles; a symbolic dark cloud of sin dispersing near the top border.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate charity scene with delicate figures; cows and villagers rendered with lyrical naturalism; soft morning light, pale sky; water pots glinting; gentle narrative detail—children receiving grain, a brāhmaṇa blessing the king.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic distribution tableau—king frontal, recipients in rhythmic rows; stylized cows and pots; bold outlines; warm palette with strong reds/yellows/greens; sin-dissolving motif as a fading dark band behind recipients.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central motif of anna-dāna with ornate grain patterns; border of lotuses and kalashas; cows and peacocks as auspicious fillers; deep blue or maroon ground with gold floral filigree; blessings inscribed as decorative cartouches."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["low temple bell","murmured blessings","cows lowing (distant)","rustle of grain sacks"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्वर्णाम्बुधान्यानाम् = स्वर्ण + अम्बु + धान्यानाम्; दानान्नश्यति = दानात् + नश्यति; ब्रह्मवध्यादिघोरकम् = ब्रह्मवध्या + आदि + घोरकम्
FAQs
The verse recommends giving cows, land, gold, water, and grain—core resources that sustain life and society.
It teaches that generous charity (dāna) is a powerful purifier: giving essential, life-supporting goods is presented as a means to dissolve even grave moral taints.
It frames dāna as an expiatory practice: through sincere giving, sins are said to be destroyed, including severe sins such as brahmahatyā and related offenses.