Shloka 55
Determination of the Householder’s Dharma
Dāna: Types, Recipients, Timing, and Fruits
दत्वा चाक्षयमाप्नोति नदीप्रस्रवणेषु च । दानधर्मात्परो धर्मो भूतानां नेह विद्यते
datvā cākṣayamāpnoti nadīprasravaṇeṣu ca | dānadharmātparo dharmo bhūtānāṃ neha vidyate
Dengan bersedekah, seseorang memperoleh pahala yang tidak binasa—terutama di punca sungai dan tempat pancuran aliran air suci. Bagi makhluk di dunia ini, tiada dharma yang lebih tinggi daripada dharma sedekah.
Unspecified (narratorial/teachings context within Svarga-khaṇḍa)
Concept: No dharma surpasses dāna-dharma; charity—especially at pure waters—yields akṣaya merit.
Application: Make giving a non-negotiable practice (food, medicine, education support); pair it with purity—visit rivers/temples or create a ‘clean giving’ ritual at home (sankalpa, respectful offering, no humiliation of recipient).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At a clear river spring emerging from rock, water pours into a small pool ringed by smooth stones and wild flowers. A donor places offerings and coins into a priest’s cloth while nearby villagers receive food—an image of dharma flowing like the spring itself, inexhaustible and pure.","primary_figures":["donor","local priest/ascetic","villagers/recipients","personified river spirit (subtle)"],"setting":"Mountain foothill spring with a small shrine, stone steps, and hanging bells; offerings arranged on leaf plates.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled with sparkling water highlights","color_palette":["crystal silver","moss green","stone gray","marigold orange","deep teal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: sacred river spring with a small shrine—donor giving alms, water rendered with gold leaf highlights, ornate arch framing the scene, rich reds/greens, gem-studded vessels and jewelry, divine aura suggesting akṣaya merit.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate mountain spring landscape, fine ripples and rocks, donor offering gifts, recipients seated calmly, cool greens and blues with soft floral accents, refined faces and lyrical naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized spring flowing from a rock, bold outlines, donor and priest in iconic poses, temple bells and lamp motifs, natural pigments with dominant greens/yellows/reds, expressive eyes and mural symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: spring scene framed by lotus borders, swans and peacocks near water, deep blue-green ground with gold wave motifs, central emphasis on the act of dāna as sacred offering, intricate floral patterns."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["spring water trickle","forest birds","soft bell chimes","leaf rustle","brief silence after the maxim"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चाक्षयमाप्नोति = च अक्षयम् आप्नोति; दानधर्मात्परो = दानधर्मात् परः; नेह = न इह.
FAQs
It teaches that charity yields akṣaya—imperishable merit—meaning its spiritual fruit does not diminish like ordinary worldly gains.
River sources and water-outflows are treated as tīrtha-like sacred locales; giving there is said to intensify the merit of dāna, linking generosity with sanctified geography.
It elevates dāna-dharma as the highest practical duty for beings in the world—encouraging generosity as a core expression of righteousness.