Shloka 19

The Glory of Charity: Land-Gifts, Śālagrāma Donation, and Food–Water as Supreme Gifts

Devanagari script

सप्तद्वीपां क्षितिं दत्वा सशैलवनकाननाम् । यत्पुण्यं लभते तद्वै शालग्रामशिलाप्रदः

Transliteration

saptadvīpāṃ kṣitiṃ datvā saśailavanakānanām | yatpuṇyaṃ labhate tadvai śālagrāmaśilāpradaḥ

Translation

সাত দ্বীপযুক্ত পৃথিৱীখনক পৰ্বত, বন আৰু উপবনসহ দান কৰিলে যি পুণ্য লাভ হয়, সেই একেই পুণ্য শালগ্ৰাম শিলা দানকাৰীয়ে লাভ কৰে।

Word by Word

• sapta-dvīpām: seven-islanded
• sapta-dvīpām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + dvīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगुसमास, ‘क्षितिम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• kṣitim: earth, land
• kṣitim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• datvā: having given
• datvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• sa-śaila-vana-kānanām: with mountains, forests, and groves
• sa-śaila-vana-kānanām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह/अव्यय-पूर्वपद) + śaila (प्रातिपदिक) + vana (प्रातिपदिक) + kānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘स’ = सहार्थक (with) उपसर्गवत् पूर्वपद; ‘क्षितिम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• yat: whatever
• yat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धसूचक (relative) qualifying ‘puṇyam’

• puṇyam: merit
• puṇyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• labhate: obtains
• labhate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (लभ् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• tat: that (merit)
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धसूचक (correlative)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• śālagrāma-śilā-pradaḥ: the giver of a Śālagrāma stone
• śālagrāma-śilā-pradaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śālagrāma (प्रातिपदिक) + śilā (प्रातिपदिक) + prada (प्रातिपदिक; √dā दा with pra-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); ‘प्रद’ = दाता (giver)

Speaker

Not explicitly specified in the provided excerpt (context-dependent within Brahma-khaṇḍa, Adhyaya 24).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: दत्वा → दत्वा (standard gerund form); यत्पुण्यं → यत् + पुण्यं; तद्वै → तत् + वै.

Characters & Entities

• Śālagrāma

FAQs

What is the main teaching of this verse?

It elevates the gifting of a Śālagrāma-śilā as a supremely meritorious act, equating it with the immense merit of donating the entire earth conceived as the seven continents with all natural features.

Why does the verse mention “seven continents” (saptadvīpa)?

“Saptadvīpa” is a Purāṇic cosmographical expression for the whole inhabited world; the verse uses it as a rhetorical maximum to show that Śālagrāma-dāna yields comparable spiritual merit.

What ethical or devotional lesson is implied here?

The verse teaches that devotional gifts connected to Viṣṇu (Śālagrāma) can carry extraordinary spiritual value, encouraging faith-driven generosity and reverence for sacred symbols rather than mere material magnitude.