Shloka 25
The Glory of the Brāhmaṇa
Brāhmaṇa-Mahimā and Pādodaka Merit
सूत उवाच । इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सानंदः क्ष्मासुरस्तदा । पाकं विधाय तूर्णं स ददावन्नं तपोधन
sūta uvāca | iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā sānaṃdaḥ kṣmāsurastadā | pākaṃ vidhāya tūrṇaṃ sa dadāvannaṃ tapodhana
สูตะกล่าวว่า: เมื่อได้ยินวาจานั้น พราหมณ์ก็ปิติยินดี ครั้นปรุงอาหารเสร็จโดยพลัน จึงถวายอาหารนั้นแก่ผู้บำเพ็ญตบะผู้มั่งคั่งด้วยความเพียร
Sūta
Concept: Anna-dāna to a tapasvī transforms the giver; joy arises when one turns from self-concern to service.
Application: Feed someone—guest, monk, needy—before eating yourself; make meals an offering rather than consumption.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Kṣmāsura, now softened by joy, tends a small cooking fire, stirring a pot while glancing respectfully toward a radiant ascetic seated on kusa grass. Steam rises like incense, and the offered meal is presented with both hands, turning a simple kitchen moment into a sacred rite.","primary_figures":["Sūta (as narrator presence, optional)","Kṣmāsura","tapodhana (ascetic)"],"setting":"rustic hut courtyard with clay stove, earthen pots, kusa mat, water vessel","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["terracotta","smoke gray","leaf green","sunlit gold","white cotton"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: the offering of anna to a seated ascetic, gold leaf on the ascetic’s halo and on the rim of the offering plate, rich vermilion and emerald textiles, ornate border patterns, devotional symmetry emphasizing dāna as worship.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle domestic-sacred scene with delicate steam curls, soft forest greens, refined ascetic features, subtle textures of earthenware, lyrical naturalism and calm gestures of offering.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized cooking hearth and vessels, the ascetic with pronounced eyes and serene smile, warm red-yellow-green palette, rhythmic decorative foliage around the scene.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central offering scene framed by floral borders and lotus motifs, deep blue ground with gold highlights, peacocks near the courtyard edge, emphasis on sanctity of food-offering as bhakti."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["crackling fire","clinking vessels","soft bells","forest birds"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सानंदः = स + आनन्दः; क्ष्मासुरस्तदा = क्ष्मासुरः + तदा; ददावन्नं = ददौ + अन्नम् (स्वर-सन्धिः/अवग्रह-लोपः)
FAQs
The verse emphasizes atithi-sevā (honoring a guest/holy person) expressed through dāna—promptly preparing and offering food to an ascetic.
The speaker is Sūta, indicating a framed narration where Sūta recounts events and dialogues to the listening sages.
Responding to wise counsel with humility and immediate righteous action—here, feeding a tapasvī—reflects dharma and earns spiritual merit.