Shloka 36
The Glory of Charity: Land-Gifts, Śālagrāma Donation, and Food–Water as Supreme Gifts
प्राप्य ज्ञानं ततस्तत्र दुर्ल्लभं वै द्विजर्षभ । दुर्ल्लभं मोक्षमाप्नोति श्रीहरेः कृपया द्विज
prāpya jñānaṃ tatastatra durllabhaṃ vai dvijarṣabha | durllabhaṃ mokṣamāpnoti śrīhareḥ kṛpayā dvija
प्राप्य तत्र दुर्लभं ज्ञानं, हे द्विजर्षभ, ततः श्रीहरेः कृपया दुर्लभतरं मोक्षमाप्नोति, हे द्विज।
Unspecified (narratorial instruction within the chapter; vocative address to a brāhmaṇa listener: 'dvijarṣabha/dvija')
Concept: Even rare liberating knowledge bears fruit as moksha only through Śrī Hari’s grace.
Application: Pursue study and contemplation with humility, while explicitly dedicating insight to Hari through prayer, nāma-smaraṇa, and service; treat learning as a means to surrender rather than self-assertion.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned brāhmaṇa sits in quiet contemplation beside a lotus-filled pond, palm-leaf manuscript open, as a soft, unseen radiance of Śrī Hari descends like a veil of light. The moment captures the transition from intellectual attainment to surrender, where knowledge blossoms into liberation through grace.","primary_figures":["Śrī Hari (as a luminous presence or four-armed Viṣṇu)","brāhmaṇa seeker","silent ṛṣis (witness figures)"],"setting":"Forest āśrama near a lotus pond with a small altar, tulasī pot, and a manuscript stand; distant temple silhouette implied.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sapphire blue","lotus pink","gold leaf","ivory white","emerald green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Viṣṇu as a radiant, four-armed form emerging from a halo of gold leaf above a seated brāhmaṇa with palm-leaf manuscript; ornate arch (prabhāmaṇḍala), gem-studded ornaments, rich crimson and emerald textiles, lotus pond motifs, thick gesso relief for jewelry and halo, South Indian iconographic precision.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a serene āśrama by a lotus pond, delicate linework and cool tonal gradients; a brāhmaṇa reading a manuscript as a soft blue Viṣṇu-radiance descends; refined faces, lyrical trees, distant hills, subtle gold highlights on the halo and manuscript edges.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, Viṣṇu with large expressive eyes and stylized crown, luminous yellow-red-green palette; brāhmaṇa seated in añjali beside a manuscript; lotus pond and temple lamp motifs; flat yet majestic composition like a sanctum wall painting.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central divine aura of Viṣṇu framed by lotus borders and intricate floral patterns; a devotee-scholar below with manuscript and tulasī; deep indigo background, gold detailing, symmetrical lotus pond motifs, peacocks at the margins to suggest auspiciousness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","conch shell (distant)","night insects","gentle silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: mokṣamāpnoti = mokṣam + āpnoti (m + ā sandhi); dvijarṣabha = dvija + ṛṣabha; durllabhaṃ normalized to durlabham (orthographic gemination retained in text).
FAQs
It teaches that even rare spiritual knowledge culminates in the rarer goal of liberation, and that mokṣa is ultimately attained through the grace (kṛpā) of Śrī Hari (Viṣṇu).
Both are linked: knowledge is described as rare and valuable, but liberation is said to be attained specifically by Śrī Hari’s grace—highlighting a Vaishnava emphasis on divine favor as decisive.
It implies humility and devotion: pursue true knowledge sincerely, but recognize that spiritual fruition is not merely self-powered; it is fulfilled through alignment with and the compassion of Śrī Hari.