Shloka 38
Merit of Causeways and Crossings, Temple Construction Rewards, and the Rudrākṣa Mahātmya
गोप्रचारं यथाशक्ति यो वै त्यजति हेतुना । दिनेदिने ब्रह्मभोज्यं पुण्यं तस्य शताधिकम्
gopracāraṃ yathāśakti yo vai tyajati hetunā | dinedine brahmabhojyaṃ puṇyaṃ tasya śatādhikam
Sesiapa yang walaupun berkemampuan, namun dengan alasan tertentu mengabaikan padang ragut dan penjagaan lembu, maka pahala yang terlepas daripadanya seratus kali lebih besar daripada pahala memberi makan seorang Brahmana setiap hari.
Pulastya (to Bhīṣma) [contextual attribution typical for Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa dialogues]
Concept: Neglecting a clear duty despite capacity is a heavier spiritual loss than the merit of daily ritual charity; omission (akaraṇa-doṣa) can outweigh commission.
Application: Do not rationalize neglect of dependents (animals, family, community resources); align charity with responsibility—first prevent harm, then perform offerings.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Pulastya, seated as a luminous sage, points toward a neglected pasture where cows stand hungry near trampled grass and broken fencing. On the other side, a householder offers a daily meal to a Brahmin, yet a shadow of ‘lost merit’ rises behind him, showing that charity cannot mask avoidable neglect.","primary_figures":["Pulastya","Bhīṣma (listening)","householder","Brahmin guest","cows"],"setting":"hermitage veranda overlooking a village pasture and a simple courtyard with a feeding ritual","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["ochre","leaf green","smoke gray","ivory","deep maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Pulastya in a jeweled sage-seat with gold leaf halo, Bhishma attentive, split-scene composition—left: cows near a neglected pasture; right: brahmin being fed—ornate borders, rich reds and greens, gold leaf emphasizing the moral contrast, stylized architecture and ritual vessels.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate hermitage scene with Pulastya teaching Bhishma, delicate gestures, a small vignette of cows and a sparse pasture in the background, cool natural palette, fine linework, subtle moral symbolism through shadowed clouds over the neglected field.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: strong outlines, Pulastya with prominent eyes and serene yet stern expression, cows rendered iconically, contrasting panels for duty vs neglect, warm red-yellow-green pigments, temple-wall symmetry and decorative creeper motifs.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: pastoral border filled with cows and lotuses, central teaching scene with sage and listener, symbolic scales of merit woven into floral patterns, deep blues and gold, intricate textile detailing, peacocks at corners, devotional ambience despite admonition."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["staff tap on ground","distant lowing of cows","rustling leaves","single temple bell strike"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गोप्रचारम् = गो-प्रचारम्; यथाशक्ति = यथा-शक्ति (अव्ययीभाव); दिनेदिने = दिने दिने (पुनरुक्त); ब्रह्मभोज्यम् = ब्रह्म-भोज्यम्; शताधिकम् = शत-अधिकम्.
FAQs
It prioritizes go-pracāra—ensuring cows are properly pastured and tended—according to one’s ability, treating neglect as a serious lapse in dharma.
No. It uses comparison to stress that neglecting one’s duty of cow-care (when able) incurs a far greater moral deficit than the merit gained from the daily act of feeding a Brahmin.
Do not use excuses to abandon responsibilities you are capable of fulfilling; dharma is measured not only by charitable acts but also by faithful care of dependent beings.