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
“جب بھوکے برہمن نے مجھ سے درخواست کی تو میں فوراً چل پڑا۔ اسی سبب، اے افضلِ دِوِج، میں ‘شیغْرگ’ یعنی تیز رو کے نام سے معروف ہوں۔”
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.