Shloka 42
The Aśūnyaśayanā Vow (Unempty Bed) and the Aṅgāraka Caturthī Observance
दीयमानं तु यद्दानं मया दृष्टं भवांतरे । माहात्म्यं च विधिं तस्य यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि
dīyamānaṃ tu yaddānaṃ mayā dṛṣṭaṃ bhavāṃtare | māhātmyaṃ ca vidhiṃ tasya yathāvadvaktumarhasi
“แต่ทานที่ข้าเคยเห็นว่ามีผู้ถวายในภพอื่นนั้น ขอท่านโปรดกล่าวให้ถูกต้อง ทั้งมหิมาและวิธีปฏิบัติอันสมบูรณ์ของทานนั้น”
Unspecified (a questioner addressing a revered sage/teacher)
Concept: Dāna is not merely an act but a structured dharmic technology: its mahātmyam (spiritual potency) and vidhi (correct method) determine its fruit across lifetimes.
Application: When giving—charity, time, attention—learn best practices, give with purity and consistency, and dedicate the merit to God for inner transformation.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A seeker speaks with palms joined, describing a vivid flash of a previous life where a solemn gift was offered—like a remembered dream turning into instruction. The sage listens, then gestures toward ritual implements, ready to reveal the gift’s hidden greatness and exact procedure.","primary_figures":["Questioner (Virocana or unnamed seeker)","Bhārgava or revered sage-teacher"],"setting":"Hermitage teaching space with ritual vessels, a small altar, and a manuscript stand; a faint translucent overlay shows the past-life dāna scene in miniature.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["leaf green","clay brown","sunlit gold","ivory","deep maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: teacher and seeker in a richly ornamented yet ascetic āśrama; gold leaf highlights on ritual vessels and halos; a small inset ‘past-life’ vignette showing a donor offering gifts; ruby and emerald accents, ornate borders, lotus motifs tying to Padma Purana’s ritual grandeur.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: soft forest scene with delicate shadows, the seeker pointing gently as if recalling a vision; the past-life dāna appears as a pale cloud-like inset; cool, refined palette and fine detailing of copper pots and kusa grass.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized altar and vessels, the past-life memory shown as a circular medallion above the figures; warm pigment palette, temple-wall symmetry, expressive eyes conveying inquiry and assurance.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central dialogue framed by intricate floral borders; inset medallion of dāna with lotus garlands; deep blue and gold with red accents, devotional ornamentation suggesting that giving is worship."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft wind through trees","distant water trickle","low tanpura drone","brief bell chime"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यद्दानं→यत् + दानम्; भवांतरे→भव + अन्तरे; वक्तुमर्हसि→वक्तुम् + अर्हसि
FAQs
The speaker asks for an authoritative explanation of a particular act of charity (dāna) witnessed in a previous existence—both its spiritual greatness (māhātmya) and its correct method (vidhi).
It frames the inquiry as arising from memory or report of a past-life event, emphasizing continuity of karma and the lasting religious importance of properly performed gifts.
It implies that charity is not only about giving, but also about giving rightly—seeking correct guidance so that an act of generosity aligns with dharma and yields appropriate spiritual merit.