Shloka 195
Viśokā Dvādaśī Vow, Guḍa-Dhenū (Jaggery-Cow) Gift, and Śaila-Dāna (Mountain-Charity) Rites
चतुर्भिर्मध्यमः प्रोक्तो भाराभ्यामधमः स्मृतः । भारेण चार्द्धभारेणकुर्याद्यः स्वल्पवित्तवान्
caturbhirmadhyamaḥ prokto bhārābhyāmadhamaḥ smṛtaḥ | bhāreṇa cārddhabhāreṇakuryādyaḥ svalpavittavān
ผู้ใดถวายทานสี่ภาระ (bhāra) เรียกว่าอยู่ในชั้นกลาง; ผู้ใดถวายสองภาระจัดว่าเลวกว่า แต่ผู้มีทรัพย์น้อยพึงถวายตามกำลัง—หนึ่งภาระ หรือแม้ครึ่งภาระก็ได้
Unspecified (context not provided in the input excerpt)
Concept: Dāna is graded, but dharma is proportionate to one’s means; sincerity outweighs magnitude.
Application: Give regularly in a sustainable way—set a modest, consistent portion for charity/temple/food-giving; avoid debt-driven ‘show’ donations.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual pavilion where devotees of different means approach a sacred altar with measured offerings—large sacks of grain for the wealthy, a small bowl for the poor—yet the same divine radiance blesses all. A calm priest gestures toward a balance scale, symbolizing proportionate dharma and sincerity.","primary_figures":["a Vaishnava priest (ācārya)","householders of varied means","Vishnu as a subtle sanctum-presence (murti or aura)"],"setting":"Temple courtyard with a yajña-vedi, grain heaps, donation vessels, and a quiet line of devotees.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["warm ghee-gold","sandalwood beige","deep vermilion","leaf green","indigo shadow"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a South Indian temple courtyard dāna scene—Vishnu murti in a small sanctum niche with gold-leaf halo, priest blessing donors, heaps of grain and measured vessels; rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments, ornate archways, gold leaf embellishment emphasizing the sanctum and the offering bowls.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a gentle courtyard scene with refined faces and delicate brushwork—donors offering grain in varying amounts, a priest holding a small scale; cool palette with lyrical naturalism, distant hills and a small shrine, fine textile patterns and soft shading.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments—Vishnu’s presence as a radiant icon panel, priest and devotees in profile, stylized grain heaps and lamps; dominant red/yellow/green with characteristic large eyes and temple-wall composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a devotional charity tableau framed by intricate floral borders—lotus motifs around offering vessels, peacocks near the courtyard, a central Vishnu/Śrī motif above the altar; deep blues and gold accents, patterned textiles and symmetrical arrangement."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["temple bells","soft conch shell","murmured mantra","rustle of grain","brief silence between lines"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चतुर्भिर्मध्यमः → चतुर्भिः + मध्यमः; भाराभ्यामधमः → भाराभ्याम् + अधमः; र्द्धभारेण → अर्ध + भारेण; अर्धभारेणकुर्यात् → अर्धभारेण + कुर्यात्
FAQs
It ranks generosity by the amount given, but also emphasizes fairness: those with limited means should give smaller amounts without being burdened beyond their capacity.
No. While it grades gifts by quantity, it explicitly accommodates the poor, stating that a person with little wealth should give one bhāra or even half a bhāra—i.e., give proportionately.
“Bhāra” functions as a traditional measure of weight/quantity used to standardize gift amounts; the verse uses it to illustrate graded levels of dāna in concrete terms.