Shloka 25
The Tale of the Five Pretas and the Glory of Puṣkara & the Eastern Sarasvatī
शीघ्रं गतोऽस्मि विप्रेण याचितः क्षुधितेन च । एतत्कारणमुद्दिश्य शीघ्रगो द्विजसत्तम
śīghraṃ gato'smi vipreṇa yācitaḥ kṣudhitena ca | etatkāraṇamuddiśya śīghrago dvijasattama
“เมื่อพราหมณ์ผู้หิวโหยวิงวอน เราก็ไปโดยเร็ว ด้วยเหตุนี้เอง โอ้ผู้ประเสริฐในหมู่ทวิชะ เราจึงได้ชื่อว่า ‘ศีฆรคะ’ ผู้ไปอย่างรวดเร็ว”
Unspecified (a self-identifying speaker explaining the epithet ‘Śīghraga’ to a brāhmaṇa addressee)
Concept: Prompt response to the hungry and to rightful requests is praised; swiftness in dharma becomes one’s defining virtue (and name).
Application: When someone genuinely needs help—food, guidance, protection—respond without procrastination; make ‘quickness in compassion’ a habit.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A hungry brāhmaṇa, thin yet radiant with tapas, calls out for food; a swift messenger-like figure darts forward, garments streaming, embodying immediate aid. The moment freezes between need and relief—compassion expressed as speed.","primary_figures":["hungry brāhmaṇa","Śīghraga (swift-goer) figure"],"setting":"a sunlit path between huts and fields; a small granary visible, suggesting provisions close at hand","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["warm saffron","sunlit gold","earth brown","sky blue","white cotton"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dynamic scene of a brāhmaṇa supplicant with pātra and sacred thread, and a swift helper mid-stride; gold leaf on the pātra rim and ornaments, rich red-green drapery, stylized motion lines, traditional South Indian facial features, ornate arch-like frame suggesting dharma as a sanctified act.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical countryside path, delicate brushwork capturing the helper’s swift movement, the brāhmaṇa’s gentle pleading gesture; cool shadows, refined faces, soft gradients in the sky, small details like grain stalks and a clay pot near a doorway.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, rhythmic posture of the running figure, brāhmaṇa in calm frontal stance; natural pigments with dominant yellows and reds, stylized trees and architectural motifs, large expressive eyes conveying urgency and compassion.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional allegory of swift charity framed by lotus borders; the running figure rendered with decorative textiles, the brāhmaṇa as a sacred recipient; deep blue background with gold highlights, floral filigree, small cows at the margins to evoke dharmic rural abundance."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["light hand cymbals","footsteps on earth","morning birds","soft conch in distance"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: gato'smi → gataḥ asmi; etatkāraṇamuddiśya → etat kāraṇam uddiśya; śīghrago → śīghragaḥ (visarga in pausa); vipreṇa…kṣudhitena: both instrumentals, second qualifies the first.
FAQs
It praises promptness in responding to a righteous request—especially feeding or helping a hungry brāhmaṇa—presenting swift compassionate action as a mark of dharma.
Because the speaker “went quickly” when requested by a hungry brāhmaṇa; the epithet is explicitly derived from that swift response.
That delaying help to someone in need is undesirable; dharmic conduct includes timely assistance, generosity, and respect toward worthy supplicants.