Shloka 48
Narrative of Sumanā: The Quest for a Worthy Son and the Karmic Roots of Poverty
नैव दत्तं हुतं विप्र भुक्तं नैव कदा त्वया । खनितं भूमिमध्ये तु क्षिप्तं पुत्रानजानते
naiva dattaṃ hutaṃ vipra bhuktaṃ naiva kadā tvayā | khanitaṃ bhūmimadhye tu kṣiptaṃ putrānajānate
ఓ విప్రా! నీవు దానం చేయలేదు, హోమం చేయలేదు, ఎప్పుడూ భోగించలేదు; భూమి మధ్యలో తవ్వి పాతిపెట్టావు—పుత్రులకు కూడా తెలియదు.
Unspecified (context required to confirm the dialogue frame, commonly Pulastya addressing Bhīṣma in Bhūmi-khaṇḍa passages)
Concept: Wealth unused for dāna (charity), homa (sacrifice), or even rightful enjoyment becomes sterile and self-defeating; hoarding ends in secrecy and loss.
Application: Allocate resources in three streams: (1) dharma/dāna, (2) family sustenance, (3) devotional service; avoid secret hoards that create fear and distrust.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: earthly
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A brāhmaṇa-householder under accusation stands beside a freshly dug pit in the courtyard, hurriedly covering a pot of coins with earth while his sons look on unaware in the background. A stern sage points toward the neglected fire-altar—cold ashes, no oblations—making the buried treasure feel like a moral grave.","primary_figures":["brāhmaṇa householder","admonishing sage (possible Pulastya-like figure)","unaware sons","cold household fire-altar (agni) as symbol"],"setting":"Courtyard of a traditional home: a pit in the ground, a hidden earthen pot, an unused yajña-kuṇḍa nearby.","lighting_mood":"overcast moral tension","color_palette":["earth brown","ash gray","dull gold","saffron cloth","dark green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: courtyard scene with gold-leaf coins spilling from an earthen pot being buried; sage with raised hand admonishing; cold yajña-kuṇḍa with ash; rich reds/greens, ornate jewelry on the hoarder but shadowed face, gold leaf emphasizing the irony of glittering wealth used wrongly.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: detailed domestic courtyard—freshly turned soil, earthen pot, anxious man; sage pointing to extinguished altar; sons playing in background unaware; delicate brushwork, naturalistic textures of soil and cloth, subdued gold accents.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines—central act of burying pot, sage in didactic posture, stylized yajña fire pit with cold ash; natural pigments, strong reds/yellows/greens, symmetrical framing like a moral panel.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical courtyard framed by floral borders; pot of coins at center with earth motifs; small altar lamp dim; deep blue background with gold highlights on coins, lotus motifs used sparingly to show neglected devotion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Darbari","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["spade striking earth","dry rustle of coins","homa-fire absent (intentional silence)","single bell strike at ‘naiva dattam’"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: naiva = na + eva. bhūmimadhye = bhūmi + madhye (Tatpurusha). putrānajānate = putrān + ajānate.
FAQs
It criticizes hoarding: wealth that is neither shared (dāna), sanctified (homa/yajña), nor even properly used becomes pointless—especially if it is hidden away and unknown even to one’s heirs.
The verse contrasts two classical righteous outlets for resources—social good through giving (dāna) and religious duty through offerings (huta)—to show the speaker’s total neglect of dharmic responsibility.
It underscores futility and insecurity: the hoarded wealth benefits neither the owner in life nor the family after death, highlighting impermanence and poor stewardship.