Shloka 26
The Glory of Charity: Land-Gifts, Śālagrāma Donation, and Food–Water as Supreme Gifts
धेनुं पुरातनीं यच्छेद्वस्त्रं च जरितं द्विज । नूत्नां रजोवतीं कन्यां स गच्छेन्निरयं तथा
dhenuṃ purātanīṃ yacchedvastraṃ ca jaritaṃ dvija | nūtnāṃ rajovatīṃ kanyāṃ sa gacchennirayaṃ tathā
โอ ทวิชะ ผู้ใดถวายโคเก่าและผ้าคร่ำคร่า อีกทั้งมอบกุมารีที่เพิ่งสมรสซึ่งกำลังมีระดู ผู้นั้นย่อมไปสู่นรกฉันนั้น
Unknown (context not provided for the dialogue frame in this excerpt)
Concept: Dāna must be appropriate (yogya) in object and circumstance; harmful/impure gifting and trafficking in persons leads to naraka.
Application: Practice ethical giving: donate what is clean, useful, and respectfully offered; never commodify human relationships; avoid enabling exploitation under the guise of ‘charity’.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stern dharma-teaching tableau: a grave sage addresses a trembling dvija as shadowy, symbolic figures of ‘old cow’ and ‘tattered cloth’ appear like omens, while a distant, dark chasm suggests naraka. The atmosphere is didactic and cautionary, with purity motifs (white ash lines, ritual vessels) contrasted against the gloom of transgression.","primary_figures":["a dharma-upadeśa sage","a dvija listener","symbolic Naraka guardians (yamadūta silhouettes)"],"setting":"Forest āśrama teaching space with a low wooden seat, palm-leaf manuscripts, and a faintly visible abyss-like backdrop as allegory.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["smoky indigo","ash white","deep maroon","burnt umber","dull gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a seated rishi with authoritative mudrā instructing a dvija, gold-leaf halo around the sage, rich maroon and green textiles, symbolic motifs of a worn cloth bundle and an aged cow rendered as cautionary icons, a dark naraka vignette in the corner with subdued gold highlights, gem-studded ornaments minimal and austere, traditional South Indian iconographic framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate forest āśrama scene with refined faces, cool indigo shadows, the sage pointing to a small painted inset of naraka as moral illustration, lyrical trees and a quiet stream, restrained palette with maroon accents, fine linework and soft gradients.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, the sage and dvija in frontal teaching posture, natural pigment reds/yellows/greens, a stylized dark-blue naraka band below with simplified yamadūta forms, temple-wall aesthetic and large expressive eyes.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional border of lotus and vine motifs framing a moral teaching scene; central sage and dvija under a stylized canopy, symbolic ‘impure gifts’ shown as small medallions, deep blue background with gold detailing, intricate floral borders and restrained narrative panels."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant conch shell","ominous silence","rustling leaves"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यच्छेद्वस्त्रं = यच्छेत् + वस्त्रम् (त् + व् → द्व्); गच्छेन्निरयं = गच्छेत् + निरयम् (त् + न् → न्न्)
FAQs
It teaches that charity must be appropriate and non-harmful; giving degraded items or making improper gifts is treated as adharma and brings negative karmic consequences.
In dharma literature, donating unusable or disrespectful items is considered a defective gift (dūṣita-dāna), performed without true generosity, and therefore spiritually harmful rather than meritorious.
It implies that the value of a gift depends on its fitness, dignity, and the righteousness of the act—not merely on the outward act of giving.