Shloka 146
Viśokā Dvādaśī Vow, Guḍa-Dhenū (Jaggery-Cow) Gift, and Śaila-Dāna (Mountain-Charity) Rites
दद्यादेकपलादूर्द्ध्वं यथाशक्ति विमत्सरः । धान्यपर्वतवत्सर्वं विदध्याद्राजसत्तम
dadyādekapalādūrddhvaṃ yathāśakti vimatsaraḥ | dhānyaparvatavatsarvaṃ vidadhyādrājasattama
அரசர்களில் சிறந்தவனே! பொறாமையின்றி, ஒருவன் தன் ஆற்றலுக்கேற்ப குறைந்தது ஒரு பலம் முதலாகத் தானம் செய்ய வேண்டும். இவ்வாறு தானங்களைத் தானிய மலைபோல் படிப்படியாக அமைக்க வேண்டும்.
Unspecified (a narrator/teacher addressing a king: 'rājasattama')
Concept: Begin charity even from the smallest unit; expand steadily without envy—dāna should be cumulative like a grain mountain.
Application: Start with a minimum daily/weekly donation (food, coins, service); track it like ‘grain piling’—small consistent acts create spiritual capital.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal granary courtyard where sacks of rice and wheat are stacked into a symbolic ‘mountain,’ while the king offers the first small measure—one pala—into a priest’s bowl. The sage gestures toward the growing heap, teaching that steady giving, free of envy, becomes vast like a granary-hill.","primary_figures":["a king (rājasattama)","a teaching sage","ṛtvij priests","villagers receiving grain"],"setting":"palace granary opening into a yajña courtyard; measuring scales, grain baskets, donation line","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["harvest gold","earth brown","vermillion","ivory white","peacock blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: king beside a towering grain heap shaped like a sacred mountain, offering a tiny measured pala into a priest’s vessel; gold leaf on the grain mound highlights and royal jewelry, rich reds/greens, ornate arch framing the dharma lesson.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical granary scene with delicate brushwork, the grain mountain rising softly, sage instructing the king, cool shadows and warm sunrise, refined faces, distant fields and birds in flight.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized grain mountain with rhythmic patterns, bold outlines, king and sage in frontal poses, warm pigments, temple-wall aesthetic emphasizing non-envy and discipline.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: decorative borders of wheat stalks and lotuses, central grain mountain like Govardhan motif but made of anna, donors and recipients arranged in circular harmony, deep blues and gold accents, peacocks at corners."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","grain pouring sound","temple bells","soft drum (mridangam)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दद्यादेकपलादूर्द्ध्वं = दद्यात् एकपलात् ऊर्ध्वम्; विदध्याद्राजसत्तम = विदध्यात् राजसत्तम (त् + र → द्र)
FAQs
It teaches giving without envy and in proportion to one’s means, beginning from even a minimal offering (one pala) and increasing as possible.
It implies steady accumulation through repeated acts of giving—small offerings, consistently done, become vast in total merit and benefit.
The verse emphasizes generosity grounded in humility and non-envy, encouraging disciplined, capacity-based giving rather than prideful or competitive charity.