Shloka 18
The Glory of Charity: Land-Gifts, Śālagrāma Donation, and Food–Water as Supreme Gifts
तुलापुरुषदानेन यत्पुण्यं लभते जनः । शालग्रामशिलां दत्त्वा तस्मात्कोटिगुणं लभेत्
tulāpuruṣadānena yatpuṇyaṃ labhate janaḥ | śālagrāmaśilāṃ dattvā tasmātkoṭiguṇaṃ labhet
تُلاپُرُش دان (آدمی کو تول کر دان کرنے) سے جو پُنّیہ ملتا ہے، شالگرام شِلا کا دان کرنے سے اس سے کروڑ گنا زیادہ پُنّیہ حاصل ہوتا ہے۔
Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within Brahma-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Donation of Śālagrāma surpasses even grand public gifts because it is direct service to Viṣṇu’s manifest emblem.
Application: If unable to perform extravagant charities, prioritize Viṣṇu-centered offerings: support temples, provide worship materials, or facilitate Śālagrāma/Tulasī worship with proper guidance and purity.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A golden balance scale (tulā) stands beside a riverbank shrine, recalling tulāpuruṣa-dāna, while a devotee reverently offers a dark, spiral-marked Śālagrāma on a lotus pedestal. The air glows with Viṣṇu’s presence—subtle conch and discus motifs in the clouds—signaling the crore-fold merit.","primary_figures":["devotee donor","brāhmaṇa officiant","Śālagrāma-śilā (as Viṣṇu emblem)","Viṣṇu (subtle theophany, optional)"],"setting":"Gandakī riverbank with small shrine, tulā (weighing scale), offering tray with flowers and sandal paste","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["deep basalt black","lotus pink","turmeric yellow","conch white","antique gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central Śālagrāma on a lotus pedestal with embossed gold conch-and-cakra aureole; devotee and brāhmaṇa near a ceremonial tulā scale; rich reds/greens, heavy gold leaf, gem-like highlights, Gandakī river rendered as stylized blue bands with gold ripples.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: serene riverbank with delicate reeds; a tulā scale to one side, the Śālagrāma offered on a small altar; soft sky where conch and discus appear as pale motifs; cool blues and gentle pinks, lyrical naturalism and fine linework.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; Śālagrāma framed by stylized lotus and chakra patterns; devotee in añjali, brāhmaṇa blessing; river as patterned waves; dominant warm yellows/reds with green borders and black detailing.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Śālagrāma altar centered within ornate floral borders; lotus clusters and hanging lamps; subtle Viṣṇu symbols (śaṅkha-cakra) in the textile pattern; deep indigo ground with gold and white detailing, celebratory devotional mood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing river water","temple bells","conch shell","soft japa undercurrent"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यत्पुण्यं → यत् + पुण्यं; तस्मात्कोटिगुणं → तस्मात् + कोटिगुणं.
FAQs
Tulāpuruṣa-dāna is a ceremonial charity in which a person is weighed (symbolically) and an equivalent weight of valuable goods is donated; the verse uses it as a benchmark for great merit.
In Vaishnava tradition, Śālagrāma is revered as a sacred manifestation associated with Viṣṇu; the verse emphasizes that gifting such a highly sacred object is considered spiritually more potent than even major forms of charity.
It prioritizes devotional, sacred-intent giving—suggesting that the spiritual value of a gift depends not only on quantity or expense, but also on the sanctity and religious significance of what is offered.