Shloka 13
Determination of the Householder’s Dharma
Dāna: Types, Recipients, Timing, and Fruits
इक्षुभिः संयुतां भूमिं यवगोधूमशालिनीम् । ददाति वेदविदुषे यः स भूयो न जायते
ikṣubhiḥ saṃyutāṃ bhūmiṃ yavagodhūmaśālinīm | dadāti vedaviduṣe yaḥ sa bhūyo na jāyate
வேதம் அறிந்தவருக்கு கரும்புடன் கூடிய, யவம்-கோதுமை-நெல் வளமுள்ள நிலத்தை தானம் செய்பவன் மீண்டும் பிறவியடையான்।
Unspecified (narratorial injunction within the Svarga-khaṇḍa discourse; commonly framed in the Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue in this section).
Concept: Donating fertile, crop-rich land to a Veda-knower yields freedom from rebirth.
Application: Invest in sustaining authentic education and transmission (gurukula, scholarship, preservation of texts) with resources that create ongoing livelihood; give in ways that generate continuous nourishment for society.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lush, fertile field brims with sugarcane and golden grain heads while a learned brāhmaṇa recites from palm-leaf manuscripts. The donor ceremonially offers a clod of earth and water-libation, and the sky subtly shows a wheel of saṃsāra dissolving into calm light—signifying 'no rebirth'.","primary_figures":["vedavid brāhmaṇa (Veda-knower)","devotee-donor","attendant students (brahmacārins)"],"setting":"Agricultural landscape with ripened barley, wheat, rice paddies, and tall sugarcane; a small thatched pāṭhaśālā at the edge.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["harvest gold","sugarcane green","earth brown","manuscript tan","sky pale blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a vedavid brāhmaṇa enthroned on a low seat with palm-leaf Vedas, students at his side; foreground shows stylized sugarcane and grain fields; donor offers soil and a copper vessel of water; gold leaf highlights on crops, halos, and borders; rich reds/greens with gem-like ornamentation and temple-arch framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate agrarian panorama—terraced fields of rice and wheat, slender sugarcane stalks, a calm brāhmaṇa reciting; donor in simple attire presenting a land grant; cool, lyrical palette with fine facial features and soft atmospheric sky; subtle symbolic saṃsāra-wheel fading in the clouds.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines—central brāhmaṇa with manuscript, donor offering; stylized crops in rhythmic bands; a symbolic chakra-like saṃsāra wheel above dissolving into light; natural pigments with red/yellow/green dominance and ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: abundant field motifs arranged like floral patterns; central learned brāhmaṇa and donor; lotus borders, peacocks near grain sheaves; deep blues and gold accents; Krishna/Vishnu aura implied in upper register, Nathdwara-inspired intricacy adapted to a dāna scene."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["rustling crops","Vedic chanting undertone","hand bell","morning birds"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: No major external sandhi beyond standard euphony; compounds: yava-godhūma-śālinīm, veda-viduṣe.
FAQs
The verse praises bhūmi-dāna (donation of land), specifically land made fruitful with sugarcane and staple grains (barley, wheat, and rice), given to a veda-vid (a Vedic scholar).
It declares a very high merit: the donor “is not born again,” i.e., freedom from rebirth (a claim of exceptional puṇya leading toward liberation).
Sustaining learning and dharma through generous, life-supporting gifts—especially gifts that ensure long-term nourishment and livelihood—is presented as a powerful form of righteous conduct (dāna) with profound karmic fruit.