Shloka 17

Dāna-vidhi: Pātra-nirṇaya, Go-dāna-mahima, and Rules of Acceptance

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मदानसमं पुण्यं प्राप्नोति द्विगुणोन्नतिम् / लोकायतं कुतर्कश्च प्राकृतम्लेच्छभाषितम्

Transliteration

brahmadānasamaṃ puṇyaṃ prāpnoti dviguṇonnatim / lokāyataṃ kutarkaśca prākṛtamlecchabhāṣitam

Translation

Man erlangt Verdienst, dem Brahmadāna, der Gabe heiligen Wissens, gleich, und steigt zu einem doppelt höheren Stand empor; hingegen sind Lokāyata (Materialismus), verkehrte Streitlust und Rede in rohen und fremden Zungen als erniedrigend zu betrachten.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मदानसमम्: equal to the gift of Brahman (brahma-dāna)
• ब्रह्मदानसमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मदान + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjectival)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• द्विगुणोन्नतिम्: a twofold elevation/advancement
• द्विगुणोन्नतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विगुण + उन्नति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• लोकायतम्: Lokāyata (materialist doctrine)
• लोकायतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोकायत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• कुतर्कः: bad reasoning, sophistry
• कुतर्कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुतर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्राकृतम्लेच्छभाषितम्: spoken in Prākrit and barbarous (mleccha) speech
• प्राकृतम्लेच्छभाषितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकृत + म्लेच्छ + भाषित (√भाष्, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) विशेषण

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Brahma-dāna (gift of sacred knowledge) yields exalted merit; materialist sophistry and corrupt speech are spiritually degrading.

Vedantic Theme: Satya-vāk (truthful, sāttvika speech) and śāstra-prāmāṇya as supports for inner purification (antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi).

Application: Prioritize teaching/learning and supporting sacred education; avoid cynical materialism, malicious disputation, and degrading speech habits.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Dharma/Ācāra sections): themes of dāna-mahima and satya-vāk; cautions against pāṣaṇḍa/kutarka recur across dharma passages

Characters & Entities

• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of brahma-dāna in the Garuda Purana?

This verse ranks brahma-dāna—giving sacred knowledge—as a supreme source of merit, capable of producing significant spiritual elevation.

How does this verse warn against Lokāyata and kutarka?

It contrasts spiritual merit with the degrading pull of materialist ideology (Lokāyata) and distorted argumentation (kutarka), implying they obstruct dharmic understanding.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Prioritize learning and sharing authentic spiritual knowledge, practice honest reasoning, and cultivate refined, truthful speech rather than cynical debate or coarse talk.