Shloka 57
Karmic Causality, Fate, and the Supremacy of Food-Charity
within Guru-tīrtha Glorification
पूर्वजन्मनि यद्दत्तं भक्त्या पात्रे सकृन्नरैः । जन्मांतरं सुसंप्राप्य नित्यमेव भुनक्ति च
pūrvajanmani yaddattaṃ bhaktyā pātre sakṛnnaraiḥ | janmāṃtaraṃ susaṃprāpya nityameva bhunakti ca
สิ่งใดก็ตามที่มนุษย์ได้ให้แก่ผู้ควรรับด้วยศรัทธาแม้เพียงครั้งเดียวในชาติปางก่อน ครั้นได้เกิดใหม่แล้ว ย่อมเสวยผลนั้นอยู่เสมอ
Unspecified (narratorial/teachings context within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa; commonly framed in the Bhīṣma–Pulastya dialogue in this khanda)
Concept: A single devotional gift to a worthy recipient becomes an enduring karmic seed that yields repeated enjoyment in later lives.
Application: Give intentionally: choose worthy channels (saints, genuine need, dharmic institutions), give with devotion, and avoid contempt or bargaining mentality.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A luminous thread of merit rises from a single act of giving—hands offering a small portion with folded humility—to a radiant ‘pātra’ seated in calm acceptance. The thread arcs across a starry band symbolizing saṁsāra, landing in a later-life scene where the same soul receives plentiful meals, suggesting the unseen continuity of karma.","primary_figures":["donor with folded humility","worthy recipient (brāhmaṇa/saint)","symbolic karmic thread/light"],"setting":"two-panel composition: foreground courtyard charity; background cosmic band of rebirth leading to a prosperous household","lighting_mood":"divine radiance with twilight undertones","color_palette":["ivory white","celestial blue","marigold gold","crimson","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: split-scene with ornate gold leaf—left panel shows devotional giving to a brāhmaṇa with embossed halos; right panel shows the donor reborn enjoying abundant food; gold filigree connects panels as a karmic vine, rich reds/greens, jeweled vessels and traditional iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical two-register narrative—top register a gentle act of dāna under a tree, bottom register a later-life feast; delicate linework, soft washes, refined expressions, subtle cosmic ribbon between scenes, cool mountain palette accents.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized figures with bold outlines; a serpentine golden band representing karma flows from offering bowl to a later-life granary; warm pigments, temple-wall composition, auspicious motifs (lotus, conch) framing the moral.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central medallion of offering with floral borders; surrounding vignettes show ‘phala’ as overflowing pots and shared meals; deep blue ground, gold highlights, peacocks and lotuses, devotional ambience implying Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure in charity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft tanpura drone","temple bells at intervals","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यद्दत्तं = यत् + दत्तम्; सकृन्नरैः = सकृत् + नरैः (त्→न् परसवर्ण); नित्यमेव = नित्यम् + एव; जन्मांतरं = जन्मान्तरम्; सुसंप्राप्य = सु + संप्राप्य.
FAQs
It teaches that even a single act of charity performed with devotion and given to a worthy recipient yields enduring karmic results that carry across births.
Because the merit (puṇya) of dāna is traditionally understood to depend on the fitness of the recipient; giving to a proper “vessel” preserves and amplifies the spiritual efficacy of the gift.
Practice sincere, devotion-filled generosity—prioritizing integrity in both intention (bhakti) and discernment (pātra)—since its benefits are not fleeting but shape one’s future experiences.