Shloka 15
Determination of the Householder’s Dharma
Dāna: Types, Recipients, Timing, and Fruits
भूमिदानात्परं दानं विद्यते नेह किंचन । अन्नदानं तेन तुल्यं विद्यादानं ततोधिकम्
bhūmidānātparaṃ dānaṃ vidyate neha kiṃcana | annadānaṃ tena tulyaṃ vidyādānaṃ tatodhikam
ఈ లోకంలో భూమిదానానికి మించిన దానం లేదు. అన్నదానం దానికి సమానం; విద్యాదానం అయితే దానికన్నా అధికం।
Unspecified narrator/teacher voice (context-dependent within Svarga-khaṇḍa 57)
Concept: Among gifts, land is supreme; food equals it; knowledge surpasses both.
Application: Balance charity: (1) empower livelihoods (resources/land), (2) relieve hunger (food), (3) invest in education and spiritual literacy (teaching, mentoring, funding study). Prioritize knowledge-sharing without ego.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Three symbolic offerings are arranged like ascending steps: a miniature field with boundary stones (land), a brimming bowl of grains (food), and a radiant manuscript or lamp of wisdom (knowledge) shining brightest. Sages and students gather in a calm assembly, visually affirming that vidyā-dāna crowns all gifts.","primary_figures":["teacher (ācārya)","students (brahmacārins)","donor householders"],"setting":"A teaching pavilion beside a small field and granary; a central lectern with manuscripts and a lit lamp.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["parchment beige","lamp gold","granary ochre","leaf green","midnight blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: allegorical triptych—left a stylized fertile field (bhūmi-dāna), center a golden bowl of grains (anna-dāna), right a radiant palm-leaf manuscript and lamp (vidyā-dāna) with the largest gold-leaf halo; ācārya teaching students; ornate borders, rich reds/greens, gem-studded highlights on the lamp and manuscripts.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined classroom scene under a tree—ācārya instructing, students attentive; foreground shows small icons of field and grain bowl; the manuscript-lamp glows subtly; delicate brushwork, cool palette, lyrical naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: symmetrical composition—three offerings in bands, central ācārya with stylized manuscript; bold outlines, natural pigments, strong reds/yellows/greens; luminous aura around the knowledge symbol.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate border of lotuses and creepers; central lamp and manuscript as the brightest motif; side panels show grain heaps and a small field; peacocks and floral filigree; deep blues and gold, devotional ambiance akin to Hari-kathā settings."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"authoritative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["tanpura drone (soft)","temple bell punctuation","page rustle (subtle)","quiet assembly murmur"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: bhūmidānātparaṃ = bhūmidānāt + param; neha = na + iha; vidyādānaṃ = vidyā + dānaṃ; tatodhikam = tataḥ + adhikam.
FAQs
It ranks gifts by their perceived spiritual and social value: land-gift is praised as supreme; food-gift is said to be equal to it; and knowledge-gift (education) is declared even higher than both.
Because knowledge empowers long-term wellbeing and right conduct; it can transform a person’s livelihood and dharma, making its benefit more enduring than one-time material support.
Support others at multiple levels—sustenance (food), stability (land/resources), and upliftment (education). The verse especially encourages enabling people through learning and wisdom.