Shloka 53
Determination of the Householder’s Dharma
Dāna: Types, Recipients, Timing, and Fruits
तत्तद्गुणवते देयं तदेवाक्षयमिच्छता । अयने विषुवे चैव ग्रहणे चंद्रसूर्ययोः
tattadguṇavate deyaṃ tadevākṣayamicchatā | ayane viṣuve caiva grahaṇe caṃdrasūryayoḥ
ผู้ใดปรารถนาบุญอันไม่เสื่อมสลาย พึงถวายทานนั้นแก่ผู้ควรรับผู้มีคุณสมบัติเหมาะสม; โดยเฉพาะในกาลอายนะ วสวะ (วิษุวะ) และคราวจันทรคราสกับสุริยคราส
Not specified in the provided excerpt (context-dependent within Svargakhaṇḍa 57)
Concept: Akṣaya-puṇya arises when dāna is given to a guṇavat (worthy recipient) at cosmically potent times.
Application: Plan charitable giving around calendrical thresholds (solstices/equinoxes) and eclipses; prioritize vetted, virtuous recipients (learned, self-controlled, service-oriented) rather than indiscriminate giving.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sacred courtyard where a donor offers gifts to a serene, learned brāhmaṇa as the sky dramatizes cosmic transitions—half-lit sun at eclipse, stars faintly visible, and a ceremonial calendar wheel motif. The atmosphere suggests time itself pausing to witness the act, turning charity into imperishable merit.","primary_figures":["donor (gṛhastha)","guṇavat śrotriya brāhmaṇa","astronomer-priest holding pañcāṅga","celestial Sun and Moon personified subtly"],"setting":"Temple courtyard with a yajña-kuṇḍa, pañcāṅga manuscript, and eclipse-viewing vessels; banners marking ayana/viṣuva.","lighting_mood":"eclipse twilight with divine radiance at the horizon","color_palette":["smoky indigo","copper eclipse glow","ivory white","vermillion accents","antique gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: eclipse-time dāna in a temple mandapa—donor presenting offerings to a śrotriya, Sun and Moon rendered as iconographic discs above, ornate pillars, heavy gold leaf on halos and temple jewelry, rich crimson and emerald textiles, gem-like detailing on vessels and manuscripts.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate eclipse sky with a thin crescent of light, donor and brāhmaṇa seated on a patterned rug, an astronomer-priest with a palm-leaf pañcāṅga, cool blues and soft copper tones, refined facial features, lyrical trees and distant hills.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines—Sun and Moon as stylized faces in the sky, donor offering gifts with hands in añjali, brāhmaṇa calm and radiant, temple wall aesthetic, red/yellow/green pigments with black contouring, large expressive eyes.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: cosmic calendar wheel and lotus border framing an eclipse-time charity scene, deep blue ground with gold star motifs, intricate floral patterns, subtle Krishna/Vishnu symbols blessing the act, symmetrical composition with ornate textile detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","conch shell","hushed crowd","distant chanting","momentary silence (eclipse hush)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्तद्गुणवते = तत्-तत् गुणवते; तदेवाक्षयमिच्छता = तत् एव अक्षयम् इच्छता; चंद्रसूर्ययोः = चन्द्र-सूर्ययोः (द्वन्द्व).
FAQs
It instructs that charity should be given to a genuinely virtuous and suitable recipient, and highlights specific sacred times—solstices, equinoxes, and lunar/solar eclipses—as especially fruitful for gaining imperishable merit.
These are regarded in Purāṇic dharma literature as powerful temporal junctions (kāla-viśeṣa) when religious acts like dāna are believed to yield heightened and enduring spiritual results.
The verse implies discernment and integrity in giving: the value of charity depends not only on the act and the time, but also on offering it to a worthy person of good conduct and virtues.