Shloka 22
Adhyāya 60: Dāna vs. Yajña—Royal Giving, Protection, and Karmic Share
दीपालोक प्रदानेन चक्षुष्मान् भवते नर: । प्रेक्षणीयप्रदानेन स्मृतिं मेधां च विन्दति
dīpāloka-pradānena cakṣuṣmān bhavate naraḥ | prekṣaṇīya-pradānena smṛtiṁ medhāṁ ca vindati ||
قال فايشَمبايانا: من يتصدّق بنور السراج يُرزَق بصراً سليماً واضحاً. ومن يهب ما يُستحسن النظر إليه—مما يُبهج العين ويرفع الهمة—ينل قوةَ الحفظ وذكاءً حادّاً.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that specific charitable acts yield corresponding benefits: donating lamplight supports clear vision, and donating worthy, pleasing objects supports mental clarity—memory (smṛti) and intelligence (medhā). It promotes dāna as a practical dharmic discipline that nurtures both body and mind.
Vaiśampāyana is reciting a didactic passage in the Anuśāsana Parva that catalogs the fruits of different kinds of gifts. Here he highlights the merit and beneficial results of offering illumination and visually edifying items.