Shloka 34
Narrative of Sumanā: The Quest for a Worthy Son and the Karmic Roots of Poverty
पात्रे दानं न दत्तं तु दृष्ट्वा दुर्बलमेव च । कृपां कृत्वा न दत्तं तु भवता धनमेव च
pātre dānaṃ na dattaṃ tu dṛṣṭvā durbalameva ca | kṛpāṃ kṛtvā na dattaṃ tu bhavatā dhanameva ca
แม้เห็นผู้ควรรับทานก็ไม่ให้ทาน และแม้เห็นผู้ยากไร้อ่อนแรงก็ไม่ให้ ด้วยความกรุณาเกิดขึ้นแล้ว ท่านก็ยังมิได้สละทรัพย์ของตนเป็นทาน
Unspecified (context not provided; likely a narrator/teacher admonishing the listener in a dharma discourse)
Concept: Dana must be responsive: give to the worthy and to the vulnerable; even when compassion arises, failing to act hardens the heart and wastes the moment of grace.
Application: When moved by someone’s need, act immediately in a measured way (food, medicine, education support); keep a ‘dana fund’ ready; practice seeing the recipient as Hari’s presence.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At a householder’s gate, a learned brāhmaṇa (worthy pātra) and a frail, hungry person stand with folded hands; the householder looks away despite a visible softening in his eyes. A rishi’s presence behind the supplicants reveals the spiritual weight of the moment, while a small Vishnu lamp on a pedestal flickers—suggesting that charity is worship in disguise.","primary_figures":["householder","worthy brāhmaṇa recipient (pātra)","weak/poor person (durbala)","a rishi/teacher","Vishnu lamp/altar (symbolic)"],"setting":"Threshold scene: doorway, courtyard, offering plate left unused; simple shrine lamp; supplicants in humble attire.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit (flickering conscience)","color_palette":["warm ghee-lamp gold","ash gray","cotton white","maroon","deep teal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: doorway scene with gold-leaf lamp flame and ornate pedestal; supplicants with expressive faces; householder turned away holding a purse; rishi behind with halo; rich reds/greens, gold leaf on lamp, jewelry, and shrine motifs; traditional South Indian compositional framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate human drama at a threshold; delicate rendering of folded hands, tired eyes of the weak, and the householder’s conflicted gaze; soft architectural lines, muted palette with a warm lamp glow; refined facial features and gentle shading.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized doorway and lamp, strong emotional eyes; rishi as moral witness; red-yellow-green palette with patterned borders; clear narrative readability like temple storytelling panels.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic threshold with a central lamp and lotus border; figures arranged in devotional symmetry; deep blue background with gold highlights; floral motifs intensify around the lamp to suggest that dana is a form of worship."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["single temple bell","soft sobbing wind (subtle)","tanpura drone","quiet footsteps at a doorway","long silence after the final pada"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दुर्बलमेव = दुर्बलम् + एव; धनमेव = धनम् + एव.
FAQs
It condemns withholding charity even when one clearly recognizes both a worthy recipient and a needy, weak person; compassion must be expressed through action, not merely feeling.
Compassion is implied to be incomplete if it does not result in giving or support; inner pity without outward help is treated as a moral failure.
It mentions both: giving to the pātra (worthy recipient) and responding to the durbala (weak/helpless), indicating a broad duty of generosity grounded in discernment and mercy.