Shloka 37
Rāma’s Meeting with Agastya: Gift-Ethics (Dāna) and the Tale of King Śveta
अगस्त्य उवाच । न च प्रतिग्रहे दोषो गृहीते पार्थिवैर्नृप । भवान्वै तारणे शक्तस्त्रैलोक्यस्यापि राघव
agastya uvāca | na ca pratigrahe doṣo gṛhīte pārthivairnṛpa | bhavānvai tāraṇe śaktastrailokyasyāpi rāghava
اگستیہ نے کہا: “اے راجا، جب بادشاہوں نے (اس عطیے کو) قبول کیا ہو تو قبول کرنے میں کوئی عیب نہیں۔ اے راغھو، تم تو تینوں لوکوں کو بھی پار لگانے کی قدرت رکھتے ہو۔”
Agastya
Concept: For rulers, accepting gifts in proper context is not inherently दोष; kings can transform wealth into protection and uplift—becoming instruments of deliverance.
Application: Do not reject responsibility out of fear of impurity; learn the rules of ethical receiving and redistribution. Use authority to protect the vulnerable and support spiritual life.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Sage Agastya, compact yet radiant with tapas, addresses Rāma with firm compassion, as if placing a mantle of responsibility upon him. Rāma stands poised with bow at his side, listening with humility; behind them, the forest hermitage glows with ascetic power, hinting that the fate of the three worlds rests on dharmic action.","primary_figures":["Agastya","Rāma (Rāghava)","attendant sages","a kingly retinue (subtle)"],"setting":"forest āśrama with a small yajña-śālā, deer moving quietly, and sacred trees; a path suggesting the Ramayana wilderness","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sapphire blue","forest green","sunlit gold","earth brown","white ash"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Agastya with gold halo seated near a yajña fire, pointing in instruction; Rāma in sapphire-blue garments with a subtle gold aura, bow and quiver present; lavish gold leaf on halos, ornaments, and fire altar; rich reds/greens in the border, temple-like symmetry despite forest setting.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical Himalayan-forest aesthetic; Agastya small-bodied, intense-eyed, speaking to a gentle-faced Rāma; delicate foliage, soft gradients, refined linework; cool greens and blues with warm golden highlights on the hermitage fire.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized Rāma with characteristic eyes, Agastya near a bright sacrificial flame; strong red/yellow/green palette; ornamental vines and geometric borders; emphasis on heroic calm and spiritual authority.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Rāma and Agastya framed by lotus and tulasi borders; deep blue ground with gold motifs; peacocks and cows at margins; intricate floral patterns suggesting dharma spreading to the three worlds."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","forest birds","yajna fire crackle","soft drum (mridang-like)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अगस्त्य उवाच → अगस्त्यः उवाच (विसर्ग-लोप); पार्थिवैर्नृप → पार्थिवैः नृप; भवान्वै → भवान् वै; शक्तस्त्रैलोक्यस्यापि → शक्तः त्रैलोक्यस्य अपि
FAQs
It frames a specific exemption: accepting is not blameworthy when it is an established royal practice (“received by kings”), implying context-sensitive dharma rather than an absolute rule.
“Rāghava” refers to Rāma, descendant of the Raghu dynasty. Agastya praises his capacity to “deliver/save,” hyperbolically extending it to the welfare of the three worlds.
The verse highlights discernment in ethical rules: actions like accepting gifts are judged by role (kingly duty) and broader welfare, not by a single rigid standard.