Shloka 11
The Integrated Dharma-Discipline: Celibacy, Austerity, Charity, Observances, Forgiveness, Purity, Non-violence, Peace, Non-stealing, Self-restraint, and Guru-service
ग्रासमात्रं तथा देयं क्षुधार्ताय न संशयः । दत्ते सति महत्पुण्यममृतं सोश्नुते सदा
grāsamātraṃ tathā deyaṃ kṣudhārtāya na saṃśayaḥ | datte sati mahatpuṇyamamṛtaṃ sośnute sadā
Ainda que seja apenas um bocado, deve-se dá-lo a quem sofre de fome—sem dúvida. Ao dar, nasce grande mérito (puṇya), e o doador participa sempre da recompensa imortal.
Unspecified (narratorial instruction within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Even a single mouthful given to the hungry yields great merit; giving grants a share in ‘amṛta’—the deathless reward.
Application: Keep a ‘ready-to-give’ habit: carry food packets, support local feeding programs, share your meal before eating; treat hunger relief as a daily vow.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On a dusty roadside, a hungry person collapses, and a devotee kneels to offer a single morsel with both hands, as if offering to a deity. As the morsel is received, a faint stream of luminous nectar rises upward, forming a subtle halo—suggesting ‘amṛta’ born from compassion.","primary_figures":["compassionate devotee/donor","hungry person (kṣudhārta)","onlookers moved to kindness","subtle celestial nectar motif (amṛta)"],"setting":"roadside near a small wayside shrine and water pot; sparse landscape emphasizing urgency and simplicity","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["dusty umber","warm gold","milk white","deep teal","vermillion"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: roadside annadāna with the donor offering a single morsel, gold leaf radiance forming an amṛta-halo above the act, rich crimson and emerald garments, ornate borders, embossed gold on the nectar stream and offering bowl.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tender roadside scene with delicate gestures and expressive faces, soft dawn sky, minimal landscape, the nectar motif rendered as a pale luminous swirl, cool-teal shadows and warm highlights, refined brushwork.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, iconic posture of giving, stylized nectar stream as a decorative spiral, strong red-yellow-green palette, narrative clarity with temple-wall framing and rhythmic patterning.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central act of offering framed by lotus borders, small medallions of cows/peacocks at corners, deep blue ground with gold floral filigree, the amṛta motif as a golden vine-like swirl rising above, symmetrical devotional composition."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["dry wind hush","soft gasp of the crowd","single bell at ‘mahatpuṇyam’","conch swell at ‘amṛtam’","long silence to let the phala land"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: महत्पुण्यममृतम् = महत् + पुण्यम् + अमृतम्; सोश्नुते = सः + अश्नुते.
FAQs
It recommends anna-dāna—giving food—even if only a single mouthful, to someone suffering from hunger.
The verse states that giving brings great merit (mahatpuṇya) and leads the giver to “amṛta,” understood as a deathless, enduring spiritual reward.
Compassionate responsiveness: immediate, practical help to the hungry is portrayed as a high virtue, not dependent on the size of the gift.