Shloka 31
The Episode of Vena: Purification, the ‘Vāsudevābhidhā’ Hymn, and the Dharma of Charity
Times, Tīrthas, Worthy Recipients
कर्मणा स्वेन विप्रेंद्र पुण्येन नृपनंदन । आत्मार्थे त्वं महाभाग वरमेव प्रयाचय
karmaṇā svena vipreṃdra puṇyena nṛpanaṃdana | ātmārthe tvaṃ mahābhāga varameva prayācaya
اے برہمنوں میں افضل، اے شہزادے! اپنے ہی نیک اعمال کے پُنّیہ سے، اے خوش نصیب، صرف اپنے روحانی فلاح کے لیے ہی کوئی ور مانگو۔
Unspecified (contextual narrator/sage addressing a prince and a leading brāhmaṇa)
Concept: Merit should be leveraged for the highest personal spiritual good; ask boons aimed at the self’s liberation rather than external gain.
Application: When opportunities arise (power, wealth, influence), consciously choose requests/goals that deepen character, devotion, and long-term welfare.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage addresses a young prince and a venerable brāhmaṇa, pointing toward a small inner shrine where a lamp burns steadily—symbolizing ātma-artha. The prince’s posture shifts from ambition to contemplation, as if choosing a boon that serves liberation rather than display.","primary_figures":["a sage/narrator","a prince (nṛpa-nandana)","a leading brāhmaṇa (viprendra)"],"setting":"forest hermitage near a modest shrine; deer and peacocks at the edge; a palm-leaf manuscript and water pot beside the teacher","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["earth brown","leaf green","ochre","lamp gold","sky blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: sage teaching a prince and brāhmaṇa before a small Viṣṇu shrine; gold leaf highlights on the lamp flame and deity halo, rich textile reds and greens, ornate jewelry on the prince subdued by humble posture, embossed borders with lotus motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: quiet hermitage instruction scene with delicate foliage, a small shrine and lamp; the prince listens thoughtfully, the brāhmaṇa attentive; cool natural palette, refined faces, lyrical animals in the background, gentle moral atmosphere.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: frontal teaching triad—sage, prince, brāhmaṇa—beside a stylized shrine; bold outlines, natural pigments, red/yellow/green palette, rhythmic border patterns, expressive eyes conveying restraint and resolve.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: didactic scene framed by floral borders; central lamp and small Viṣṇu icon as the axis; prince and brāhmaṇa symmetrically placed listening to the sage; lotus vines, peacocks on the border, deep blues and gold accents."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["forest birds","soft hand cymbals","crackling lamp wick","brief silence after ‘ātma-arthe’"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: आत्मार्थे = आत्म + अर्थे (समास/तत्पुरुष); वरमेव = वरम् + एव
FAQs
It advises the listener to request a boon that serves one’s own highest good (ātmārtha), grounded in one’s accumulated merit (puṇya) from personal deeds (sva-karma).
Ātmārthe means “for the sake of the Self,” i.e., for one’s true welfare—often implying spiritual benefit rather than merely worldly gain.
It stresses personal responsibility: one’s own actions generate merit, and that merit should be used wisely—seeking boons that support inner, lasting well-being.