Shloka 50
Instruction on All Dharma
in the context of Rāma’s Aśvamedha
अन्नोदक पयो मूलफलैर्वापि गृहाश्रमी । गोदानेन तु यत्पुण्यं पात्राय विधिपूर्वकम्
annodaka payo mūlaphalairvāpi gṛhāśramī | godānena tu yatpuṇyaṃ pātrāya vidhipūrvakam
Seorang gṛhastha juga, dengan bersedekah makanan, air, susu, umbi-umbian atau buah-buahan—apabila dipersembahkan menurut tatacara kepada penerima yang layak—memperoleh pahala yang sama seperti pahala go-dāna (derma lembu) yang dilakukan mengikut vidhi.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses; commonly framed as Pulastya speaking to Bhīṣma in the Pātālakhaṇḍa).
Concept: Simple gifts—food, water, milk, roots, fruits—when given with proper method to a worthy recipient, yield merit comparable to the great gift of a cow (go-dāna).
Application: Practice daily micro-dāna: offer water/food to guests, the needy, students, ascetics; give mindfully, respectfully, and without humiliation; support dharmic learning and worship through appropriate charity.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A humble householder stands at his doorway offering a brass pot of water, a bowl of rice, and a cup of milk to a serene mendicant, while baskets of roots and fruits rest nearby. In the background, a radiant cow appears as a symbolic aura—showing that the merit of go-dāna is mirrored in these simple, properly offered gifts.","primary_figures":["householder (gṛhastha)","worthy recipient (brāhmaṇa/ascetic/vaidika student)","symbolic cow (go-dāna aura)","family members witnessing with reverence"],"setting":"village home threshold with a small tulsi-less courtyard altar, offering vessels, and shaded trees","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["warm earth brown","brass gold","milk white","leaf green","saffron"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: gṛhastha at the threshold offering anna and jala in ornate brass vessels, ascetic with calm gaze, gold leaf radiance forming a cow silhouette behind them, rich red-green textiles, decorative arch border, gem-like highlights on vessels and ornaments, traditional South Indian devotional realism.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate hospitality scene with delicate brushwork, soft sunlight, detailed baskets of fruits and roots, gentle expressions, a faint luminous cow-form in the sky as symbolic merit, pastoral background with trees and a quiet path.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, warm yellow-red palette, stylized offering vessels and ascetic figure, a clear iconographic cow-aura behind as a halo motif, temple-wall didactic composition emphasizing dāna as dharma.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral border with lotus and vine motifs, central panel of anna-dāna at a doorway, deep blue background with gold highlights, cow motif integrated into the border as auspicious symbol, peacocks and floral filigree celebrating generosity as devotion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["water pouring","soft bell","cow bell (distant)","rustling leaves","gentle mantra hum"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मूलफलैर्वापि = मूलफलैः + वा + अपि; विधिपूर्वकम् अव्ययीभावः।
FAQs
It praises practical gifts—food, water, milk, roots, and fruits—especially when given by a householder to someone worthy.
The verse states that when these gifts are offered properly (vidhipūrvakam) to a worthy recipient (pātra), they yield the same merit as the ritual donation of a cow.
That accessible, life-sustaining generosity—done with discernment and proper conduct—can equal highly esteemed ritual gifts, making dharma practicable for householders.