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Shloka 15

मुक्ता-उत्पत्ति-भेदाः, मूल्य-मान-निर्णयः, शोधन-परीक्षा-लक्षणानि

Pearl Sources, Valuation, Refinement, and Identification

Devanagari script

हिंसन्ति यस्याहिशिरः समुत्थं मुक्ताफलं तिष्ठति कोशमध्ये / नाभ्येति मेघप्रभवं धरित्रीं विप्रद्गतं तद्विबुधा हरन्ति

Transliteration

hiṃsanti yasyāhiśiraḥ samutthaṃ muktāphalaṃ tiṣṭhati kośamadhye / nābhyeti meghaprabhavaṃ dharitrīṃ vipradgataṃ tadvibudhā haranti

Translation

Die sich erhebende Schlangenhaube schlägt den, dem die Perle noch in ihrer Schale eingeschlossen bleibt; wie der aus Wolken geborene Regen die Erde nicht erreicht, so nehmen die Weisen auch das Verdienst/den Reichtum zurück, der einem Brāhmaṇa gegeben wurde.

Word by Word
हिंसन्तिthey harm
हिंसन्ति:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootहिंस् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)
यस्यof whom/whose
यस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)
अहि-शिरःsnake’s head
अहि-शिरः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअहि (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)
समुत्थम्arisen/produced
समुत्थम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसम्-उत्-स्था (धातु) → समुत्थ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formभूतकृदन्त (past participial adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying)
मुक्ता-फलम्pearl-fruit (pearl)
मुक्ता-फलम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमुक्ता (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)
तिष्ठतिstands/remains
तिष्ठति:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootस्था (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (singular)
कोश-मध्येin the sheath/inside the pod
कोश-मध्ये:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootकोश (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)
नnot
न:
Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध (negation particle)
अभ्येतिapproaches/comes to
अभ्येति:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअभि-इ (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (singular)
मेघ-प्रभवम्cloud-born
मेघ-प्रभवम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootमेघ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्
धरित्रीम्the earth
धरित्रीम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootधरित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)
विप्रद्गतम्gone to a brāhmaṇa / obtained by a brāhmaṇa
विप्रद्गतम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootविप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formभूतकृदन्त (past participle of गम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्
तत्that
तत्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)
विबुधाःthe wise/learned (or gods)
विबुधाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootविबुध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)
हरन्तिthey take away
हरन्ति:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootहृ (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (plural)
Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa, Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dāna once given—especially to a brāhmaṇa—should not be reclaimed; wrongful appropriation rebounds as harm and loss of merit.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-niyati (moral causality) governing sukṛta and its depletion; dharma as an impersonal order (ṛta/dharma) that protects rightful giving.

Application: Do not retract gifts, wages, or promised support; treat charitable/religious donations as irrevocable; maintain integrity in patronage and alms.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: dāna-mahātmyas and brāhmaṇa-apacāra warnings (general thematic parallels); Garuda Purana: karma-phala discussions where merit is ‘lost’ by adharma (general)

Characters & Entities
B
Brāhmaṇa (Vipra)
V
Vibudhāḥ (the wise/learned)

FAQs

This verse warns that merit does not ‘reach’ the giver when a donation is retracted; instead, the benefit is removed—implying a loss of puṇya and a dharmic fault.

Through the rain-and-earth metaphor, it suggests puṇya must ‘arrive’ through proper completion of dāna; if the gift is seized back (especially from a brāhmaṇa), the intended spiritual result fails.

Give thoughtfully and only what you can sustain; once given in good faith, do not reclaim it—protecting integrity, trust, and the dharmic value of charity.

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