Shloka 22

Description of the Worship of the Planets

Devanagari script

दानं शनैश्चरारिष्टे कृष्णां गां कृष्णवस्त्रकं । सुवर्णं च यथाशक्ति दद्यान्नीलमणिं तथा

Transliteration

dānaṃ śanaiścarāriṣṭe kṛṣṇāṃ gāṃ kṛṣṇavastrakaṃ | suvarṇaṃ ca yathāśakti dadyānnīlamaṇiṃ tathā

Translation

शनैश्चरजन्य अरिष्टाने पीडित झाल्यास काळी गाय व काळे वस्त्र दान द्यावे; तसेच यथाशक्ती सुवर्ण व नीलमणीही दान करावी.

Word by Word

• दानम्: a gift/charity
• दानम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• शनैश्चर-अरिष्टे: in (case of) Saturn’s affliction
• शनैश्चर-अरिष्टे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Context-Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शनैश्चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अरिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (Locative/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) (अरिष्ट); तत्पुरुषः: 'in the affliction caused by Śanaiścara' (शनैश्चरस्य अरिष्टे)

• कृष्णाम्: black
• कृष्णाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); qualifying गां

• गाम्: a cow
• गाम्: Karma (कर्म/Object) (item to be given)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• कृष्ण-वस्त्रकम्: black cloth
• कृष्ण-वस्त्रकम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + वस्त्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); कर्मधारयः: 'black cloth/garment'

• सुवर्णम्: gold
• सुवर्णम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक (Conjunction/समुच्चय)

• यथा-शक्ति: according to ability
• यथा-शक्ति: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः (Adverbial compound): 'according to (one’s) ability' qualifying दद्यात्

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person/प्रथम), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• नील-मणिम्: a blue gem (sapphire)
• नील-मणिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक) + मणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine); कर्मधारयः: 'blue gem (sapphire)'

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverb/अव्यय): 'likewise/also'

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher voice within the chapter)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: शनैश्चरारिष्टे → शनैश्चर-अरिष्टे; कृष्णवस्त्रकं → कृष्ण-वस्त्रकम्; यथाशक्ति → यथा-शक्ति; दद्यान्नीलमणिं → दद्यात् नील-मणिम्

Characters & Entities

• Śanaiścara (Saturn)
• cow
• suvarṇa (gold)
• nīlamaṇi (blue gem/sapphire)

FAQs

What practice is recommended in this verse for Śanaiścara-related affliction?

The verse recommends dāna (charitable giving): a black cow, black cloth, gold according to one’s means, and also a nīlamaṇi (blue gem).

Why does the verse emphasize “according to one’s capacity” (yathāśakti)?

It frames charity as an ethical act proportional to one’s resources, prioritizing sincerity and responsibility over hardship-inducing display.

What is the ethical lesson conveyed beyond astrological remedy?

Even in adversity, one should respond through generosity and restraint—transforming personal difficulty into compassionate giving rather than fear or superstition.