Shloka 27
Yayāti Ensnared by Desire: Gandharva Marriage, Aśvamedha, and the Demand to See the Worlds
अश्वमेधयज्ञवाटे दत्वा दानान्यनेकधा । ब्राह्मणेभ्यो महाराज भूरिदानमनंतकम्
aśvamedhayajñavāṭe datvā dānānyanekadhā | brāhmaṇebhyo mahārāja bhūridānamanaṃtakam
ข้าแต่มหาราช ครั้นถวายทานนานาประการแก่พราหมณ์ทั้งหลาย ณ มณฑลพิธีอัศวเมธยัญแล้ว พระองค์ได้บำเพ็ญทานอันไพบูลย์และไม่สิ้นสุด
Unknown (context not provided; likely a narrator addressing a king, e.g., Pulastya addressing Bhīṣma)
Concept: Dāna performed in a consecrated context, to worthy recipients, becomes ‘anantaka’—spiritually unending—by multiplying merit and purifying the giver.
Application: Give regularly and thoughtfully—support learning, spiritual practice, and those who live by integrity; pair giving with humility and non-attachment.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: temple
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Within the Aśvamedha enclosure, Pūru stands beside the blazing altar as lines of brāhmaṇas receive gifts—cows with garlands, gold vessels, cloth bundles, and grain. The scene radiates orderly abundance: attendants record donations, while priests bless the king, and the air shimmers with heat and mantra.","primary_figures":["Pūru","Brāhmaṇas (recipients)","Ṛtviks","Attendants with gifts","Heralds/record-keepers"],"setting":"Aśvamedha yajña-vāṭa with fenced perimeter, fire-altar, gift heaps (cows, gold, cloth), and blessing gestures","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["molten gold","saffron","white linen","cowhide brown","crimson"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: grand yajña enclosure with gold leaf flames and ornaments, Pūru offering dakṣiṇā to rows of brāhmaṇas, richly patterned textiles, gem-studded crowns, gold leaf highlighting vessels and altar, symmetrical ceremonial composition with deep reds and greens.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: detailed procession of giving—cows, cloth, gold—rendered with delicate brushwork, soft smoke from the altar, refined faces of brāhmaṇas receiving blessings, gentle sunlight and cool shadows balancing the warmth of the fire.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic gifting tableau with bold outlines, stylized cows and vessels, warm red/yellow/green palette, altar flames simplified yet powerful, temple-wall aesthetic emphasizing dharma and abundance.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate border of lotuses and vines framing a central yajña scene, repeated motifs of cows and kalashas, deep blue background with gold highlights, rhythmic rows of recipients, devotional atmosphere of ‘akṣaya-dāna’."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"celebratory","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["Vedic chanting","fire roar","cow bells","conch shell","temple bells"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दानान्यनेकधा = दानानि + अनेकधा (इ + अ → य). भूरिदानमनंतकम् = भूरिदानम् + अनन्तकम् (म् + अ → म).
FAQs
The verse highlights that yajña is ideally accompanied by generous charity—especially to Brāhmaṇas—so ritual merit is joined with ethical giving.
It means “abundant, unending giving,” portraying charity as vast in quantity and continuous in spirit rather than a single token act.
A ruler’s greatness is linked to sustained generosity and support of learned and religious communities, not merely to performing grand rituals.