Shloka 8
Glory of Āśvina Pūrṇimā and Dvādaśī Gifts: Bhakti, Proper Giving, and a Redemption Narrative
क्ष्मासुराय च मूर्खाय पाषाणसदृशं तु यत् । दद्याद्दानं नरो यो वै तस्य पुण्यं न विद्यते
kṣmāsurāya ca mūrkhāya pāṣāṇasadṛśaṃ tu yat | dadyāddānaṃ naro yo vai tasya puṇyaṃ na vidyate
क्ष्मासुराय मूर्खाय च पाषाणसदृशाय यत् दानं नरो ददाति; तस्य दानस्य पुण्यं न विद्यते।
Unspecified (narratorial instruction within Brahma-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Dāna must be directed wisely; gifts to cruel, demonic, or foolish ‘stone-like’ persons yield no puṇya.
Application: Give with compassion but also discernment—support those who will use resources for dharma, learning, service, and genuine need; avoid funding harm or vice.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A donor stands at a crossroads: one path leads to a gentle, receptive ascetic with a begging bowl; the other to a harsh, weapon-bearing ‘asura-like’ figure and a dull-eyed fool, both rendered with stone textures. The donor’s offered coins and food glow when turned toward the worthy, but become gray and lifeless when extended toward the stone-like recipients.","primary_figures":["a donor (householder)","a cruel asura-like figure (symbolic)","a foolish stone-like person (symbolic)","a worthy ascetic/brāhmaṇa (contrast figure)"],"setting":"Moral allegory landscape—crossroads near a village edge with a small shrine in the distance; offerings depicted as luminous or dull depending on direction.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["earth brown","slate gray","leaf green","sunlit gold","ochre"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Allegorical dāna scene with two recipients—worthy brāhmaṇa glowing softly and unworthy stone-textured figures; donor centered with offering plate; gold leaf used to highlight the ‘puṇya’ path and dull matte tones for the fruitless path; ornate border with dharma symbols (conch, chakra, lotus).","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Crossroads composition with delicate narrative clarity; subtle stone-like rendering on unworthy recipients; warm sunlight on the worthy ascetic; refined facial expressions showing discernment; gentle hills and trees in cool greens and browns.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Didactic panel—donor in center, worthy recipient on one side with bright pigments, unworthy on the other with gray-black stone shading; bold outlines, temple-wall symmetry, decorative borders emphasizing moral instruction.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Symbolic split-panel with floral borders; luminous offerings turning into gray stones on the unworthy side; lotus motifs around the worthy recipient; deep blue/green ground with gold highlights, patterned textiles, moral allegory in devotional aesthetic."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["measured bell taps","soft hand drum","wind through trees","distant temple conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दद्यात् + दानम् → दद्याद्दानम् (त्→द् before द).
FAQs
It teaches discernment in giving: charity should be directed toward worthy recipients; giving to cruel or foolish, unresponsive people is said to yield no puṇya.
No. It criticizes indiscriminate giving to harmful or unreceptive recipients, implying that wise, purposeful giving is what produces spiritual merit.
The verse links the fruit of an action to the moral context and recipient: when a gift supports cruelty or is wasted on someone incapable of benefiting, the action is considered spiritually fruitless.