Shloka 178
Brahmā’s Puṣkara Sacrifice: Ṛtvij System, Sāvitrī’s Reconciliation, Tīrtha-Catalogue, Śrāddha & Initiation Rites, and Vrata Fruits
उपवासेप्यनंतं च स्वयं प्रोक्तं मयानघ । सावित्र्याः पुरतो यस्तु दंपत्योर्भोजनं ददेत्
upavāsepyanaṃtaṃ ca svayaṃ proktaṃ mayānagha | sāvitryāḥ purato yastu daṃpatyorbhojanaṃ dadet
హే అనఘా! ఉపవాసదినములలోనూ ‘అనంత’ వ్రతమును నేనే స్వయంగా ప్రకటించితిని. కాని సావిత్రీ సమక్షమున దంపతులకు భోజనము సమర్పించువాడు—
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from Adhyaya 34 to confirm the dialogue frame).
Concept: Vrata is completed and empowered by dāna—especially anna-dāna—performed with proper devotional orientation and sacred witness (Sāvitrī).
Application: On fasting or vow-days, pair restraint (upavāsa) with compassionate giving: feed a couple or householders respectfully, dedicating the act to the Lord and to the sanctity of family life.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vow-observant devotee, having fasted, kneels before a small altar where Sāvitrī is honored with a lotus and lamp. In front of her presence, a dignified married couple is served a leaf-plate meal, while the devotee offers water with cupped hands, dedicating the merit to dharma and Vishnu.","primary_figures":["Sāvitrī (goddess)","devotee (vratī)","married couple (dampatī)"],"setting":"Courtyard shrine with a tulasī planter, brass lamp, and a low wooden seat for honored guests; ritual vessels (kalaśa, pātra) arranged neatly.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lotus pink","saffron gold","deep vermilion","peacock green","warm sandalwood beige"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Sāvitrī seated on a lotus pedestal with a radiant prabhāmaṇḍala, gold leaf halo and ornate jewelry; foreground shows the devotee offering anna-dāna to a serene married couple on banana leaves, rich reds and greens, embossed gold detailing on vessels and borders, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: an intimate courtyard scene with delicate linework—Sāvitrī’s small shrine framed by flowering vines, the fasting devotee respectfully serving a couple; soft pastel palette, lyrical domestic realism, refined faces, distant hills and a pale sky suggesting sacred calm.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments—Sāvitrī with large expressive eyes, lotus and veena-like grace; the devotee and couple rendered in temple-wall composition, red/yellow/green dominance, stylized ritual vessels and lamp flames.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a devotional courtyard with lotus motifs and ornate floral borders; Sāvitrī enthroned amid lotuses while the anna-dāna scene unfolds below; intricate patterns, deep indigo background with gold highlights, peacocks perched near the shrine, celebratory yet reverent."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["temple bells","soft conch shell","lamp crackle","murmured mantras","courtyard birds"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: उपवासेपि = उपवासे + अपि; अनंतं = अनन्तम्; मयानघ = मया + अनघ; यस्तु = यः + तु; दंपत्योर्भोजनं = दम्पत्योः + भोजनम्
FAQs
It affirms that the Ananta observance is taught even in connection with upavāsa (fasting), and it highlights the merit of offering a meal (bhojana-dāna) despite the fast context.
Sāvitrī functions as a sacred presence for the act of giving; the verse frames the donation as being performed reverentially before her, strengthening its ritual and ethical weight.
It implies that dharma is not only personal austerity; generosity and hospitality—such as feeding others—remain virtuous and can be emphasized even when one is observing a fast.