Shloka 121
The Episode of Vena: Purification, the ‘Vāsudevābhidhā’ Hymn, and the Dharma of Charity
Times, Tīrthas, Worthy Recipients
चोराय च न दातव्यं स यद्यत्रिसमो भवेत् । अतृप्ताय न दातव्यं शावं तु परिवर्जयेत्
corāya ca na dātavyaṃ sa yadyatrisamo bhavet | atṛptāya na dātavyaṃ śāvaṃ tu parivarjayet
దొంగకు దానం ఇవ్వకూడదు, అతడు అత్రిసముడైనప్పటికీ. తృప్తి లేనివానికి దానం చేయరాదు; శవసమానమైన అపవిత్ర దానాన్ని వర్జించాలి.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa narration)
Concept: Dāna must be guided by discrimination (pātra-apātra-viveka); giving to the unworthy or offering impure items undermines the sanctity of charity.
Application: Before donating, verify integrity and genuine need; avoid enabling harmful behavior; offer clean, wholesome items; prefer transparent, accountable channels.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king’s court becomes a moral classroom: a calm sage raises his hand in instruction while attendants hold baskets of clean grain, cloth, and water-pots. In the shadows, a disguised thief and a greedy petitioner are gently turned away, while impure offerings are set aside, emphasizing discernment and purity in charity.","primary_figures":["dharma-upadeśaka ṛṣi (sage-teacher)","rājā (king)","dāna-sevaka (attendant)","apātra figures: chora (thief), atṛpta (insatiable petitioner)"],"setting":"royal sabhā with a small shrine niche and donation platform; vessels of water, cloth bundles, grains; a side area where rejected items are placed away from the altar","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","deep maroon","burnished gold","indigo shadow","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a serene sage instructing a crowned king in a palace hall, gold leaf halo around the sage, gem-studded ornaments on the king, a donation dais with clean grains and folded cloth, rejected impure items placed aside, rich reds and greens, ornate pillars, traditional South Indian iconography, high relief gold detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined sage and king seated on a carpeted terrace, delicate linework, cool muted palette with lyrical naturalism, a subtle moral contrast—worthy recipients near the sage, a thief and greedy figure in the background, distant hills and flowering trees, soft atmospheric perspective.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments, sage with expressive eyes teaching the king, stylized palace interior with lamp flames, clear symbolic separation between pure offerings and rejected impure items, dominant reds/yellows/greens with rhythmic ornamentation.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Vaishnava charity motif framed by lotus and tulasi borders, a central dais of pure offerings before a small Vishnu shrine, attendants distributing to humble devotees, apātra figures kept outside the floral border, deep blues and gold accents, intricate patterns and peacocks at the margins."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"authoritative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","low conch shell","soft mridanga pulse","courtly silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यदि + अत्रिसमः → यद्यत्रिसमः (इ + अ → य् + अ).
FAQs
It teaches discernment in giving: charity should not support wrongdoing (a thief) or feed endless greed (the insatiable), and it should avoid impure offerings.
It emphasizes that even an apparently elevated status or association does not justify giving if the recipient’s conduct is unethical; character and dharma remain the standard.
Give in ways that genuinely help and uplift—avoid enabling harmful behavior, avoid rewarding unchecked craving, and keep offerings clean and appropriate.