Shloka 17
Determination of the Householder’s Dharma
Dāna: Types, Recipients, Timing, and Fruits
दद्यादहरहः स्वर्णं श्रद्धया ब्रह्मचारिणे । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो ब्रह्मणः स्थानमाप्नुयात्
dadyādaharahaḥ svarṇaṃ śraddhayā brahmacāriṇe | sarvapāpavinirmukto brahmaṇaḥ sthānamāpnuyāt
ผู้ใดถวายทองคำทุกวันด้วยศรัทธาแก่พรหมจารีผู้ศึกษาวินัยศักดิ์สิทธิ์ ผู้นั้นย่อมพ้นบาปทั้งปวงและบรรลุสู่พำนักแห่งพระพรหมา
Unspecified narrator (contextual instruction within Svarga-khaṇḍa; exact dialogue speaker not stated in the provided excerpt)
Concept: Śraddhā-yukta nitya-dāna to a brahmacārin purifies pāpa and elevates the giver to higher realms.
Application: Support students, monks, and disciplined learners regularly (even modestly), with sincerity rather than display; make giving a daily vow.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene dawn courtyard of a hermitage where a disciplined brahmacārin, holding a palm-leaf manuscript and kuśa grass, receives a small gold offering with folded hands. Above, a faint vision of Brahmaloka appears—lotus-thrones and luminous architecture—suggesting the unseen fruit of daily charity.","primary_figures":["brahmacārin (Vedic student)","pious donor (gṛhastha or devotee)","Brahmā (visionary, subtle presence)"],"setting":"forest āśrama threshold with a tulasī pot nearby, sacrificial fire smoke, and simple thatched huts","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["saffron ochre","lotus pink","burnished gold","forest green","smoke gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a donor offering a gold coin to a serene brahmacārin at an āśrama doorway, ornate gold-leaf halo effects around the figures, rich vermilion and emerald textiles, gem-studded ornaments on the donor, subtle Brahmaloka lotus-throne vignette in the upper panel, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate forest hermitage scene at sunrise, slender brahmacārin with deer-skin strap and palm-leaf text, donor with modest shawl extending a small gold piece, soft Himalayan-like hills in the distance, lyrical naturalism, cool greens and warm pink-golds, refined facial features and gentle gestures.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, flat yet vibrant natural pigments, brahmacārin and donor in frontal grace, stylized āśrama foliage, warm yellow background glow, large expressive eyes, minimal Brahmaloka lotus motif above, temple-wall aesthetic with rhythmic ornamentation.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional courtyard framed by intricate floral borders and lotus motifs, central act of dāna to a brahmacārin, peacocks and cows at the margins, deep indigo background with gold highlights, a small celestial lotus pavilion above symbolizing Brahmaloka, Nathdwara-inspired ornamented textiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","morning birds","gentle fire crackle","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दद्याद् + अहरहः → दद्यादहरहः; सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः is a तत्पुरुष compound; ब्रह्मणः taken as genitive of ब्रह्मन्; context may imply Brahmā.
FAQs
It recommends daily giving (dāna) of gold, performed with śraddhā (faith), specifically to a brahmacārin—one devoted to celibate discipline and Vedic study.
The verse states that the donor becomes freed from all sins and attains the abode (sthāna) of Brahmā (often understood as Brahmaloka).
It links inner intention (śraddhā) with consistent generosity, presenting disciplined support of students/ascetics as a purifying act with elevated spiritual consequences.