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Shloka 45

Āyuḥ-kṣaya by Vikarma; Impermanence of the Body; Aśauca and Child Śrāddha Procedures; Dāna as Remedy

Devanagari script

विभवे दानशक्तिश्च नाल्पस्य तपसः फलम् / दानाद्भोगानवाप्नोति सौख्यं तीर्थस्य सेवनात् / सुभाषणान्मृतो यस्तु स विद्वान्धर्मवित्तमः

Transliteration

vibhave dānaśaktiśca nālpasya tapasaḥ phalam / dānādbhogānavāpnoti saukhyaṃ tīrthasya sevanāt / subhāṣaṇānmṛto yastu sa vidvāndharmavittamaḥ

Translation

Wer Mittel hat, soll auch die Kraft zum Geben besitzen; die Frucht der Askese (tapas) ist nicht gering. Durch Spende (dāna) erlangt man Genüsse, und durch den Dienst an den tīrtha, den heiligen Pilgerstätten, gewinnt man Glückseligkeit. Doch wer dieses Leben mit edlen, wohlgesprochenen Worten verlässt, ist wahrhaft weise — der beste Kenner des Dharma.

Word by Word
विभवेin prosperity/wealth
विभवे:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootविभव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of circumstance)
दानशक्तिःthe power/ability to give
दानशक्तिः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootदान-शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक; दान + शक्ति)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दानस्य शक्ति:)
चand
च:
Sambandha (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)
अल्पस्यof a small (amount)
अल्पस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeAdjective
Rootअल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)
तपसःof austerity
तपसः:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootतपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)
फलम्fruit/result
फलम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootफल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विधेय/कर्म (contextual)
दानात्from giving/charity
दानात्:
Apadana (Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootदान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (source)
भोगान्enjoyments
भोगान्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootभोग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; कर्म
अवाप्नोतिattains/obtains
अवाप्नोति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअव-आप् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present/वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन
सौख्यम्happiness
सौख्यम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootसौख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म
तीर्थस्यof a sacred place/pilgrimage
तीर्थस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध
सेवनात्from service/attendance
सेवनात्:
Apadana (Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootसेवन (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (cause/source)
सुभाषणात्from good speech
सुभाषणात्:
Apadana (Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootसु-भाषण (प्रातिपदिक; सु + भाषण)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; कारण/अपादान
मृतःdead
मृतः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootमृत (कृदन्त; √मृ (धातु) + क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)
यःwho
यः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम
तुbut/indeed
तु:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formविरोध/विशेषण-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)
सःhe
सः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अन्वय-सर्वनाम
विद्वान्a learned man
विद्वान्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootविद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक; √विद् (धातु) + वस्)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; वस्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive/agentive)
धर्मवित्तमःbest knower of dharma
धर्मवित्तमः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootधर्म-वित्तम (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + वित्तम)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषार्थ (धर्मं वेत्ति इति धर्मवित्; तस्य तमप्-प्रत्ययेन उत्तमत्व)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dana, tapas, and tirtha-seva yield tangible and intangible fruits; the highest mark is departing with subhashita grounded in dharma-knowledge.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-yoga orientation: right action and purity of speech refine the mind (antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi) and support higher wisdom.

Application: Give according to capacity; maintain disciplined effort; regularly serve sacred places/communities; cultivate truthful, gentle, beneficial speech—especially in final days.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: pilgrimage site

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: recurring dana-mahatmya and tirtha-mahatmya passages in Dharma-kanda sections; Garuda Purana: teachings on satya-hita-mita-vacana and auspicious death-remembrance themes

Characters & Entities
V
Vishnu
G
Garuda
T
Tirtha (pilgrimage places)
D
Dharma

FAQs

This verse states that charity directly yields bhoga (worldly comforts/enjoyments) as a fruit of merit, making dāna a practical dharmic means to accumulate punya.

Rather than describing punishments, it highlights what supports a righteous life before death—dāna, tapas, and tīrtha-sevā—and emphasizes that leaving life with noble speech marks true dharmic wisdom, shaping one’s karmic trajectory.

Give according to your capacity, maintain disciplined self-restraint, visit and serve sacred places with sincerity, and cultivate truthful, kind, and beneficial speech—especially in moments of conflict and at life’s end.

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