Shloka 45

Āloka-dāna (Dīpa-dāna), Sumanas–Dhūpa–Dīpa Phala: Manu–Suvarṇa and Śukra–Bali Exempla

Devanagari script

दीपदाने प्रवक्ष्यामि फलयोगमनुत्तमम्‌ । यथा येन यदा चैव प्रदेया यादृशाश्व ते,अब मैं दीप-दानका परम उत्तम फल बताऊँगा। कब किस प्रकार किसके द्वारा किसके दीप दिये जाने चाहिये, यह सब बताता हूँ, सुनो

Transliteration

dīpadāne pravakṣyāmi phalayogam anuttamam | yathā yena yadā caiva pradeyā yādṛśāś ca te ||

Translation

Śukra sprach: „Nun werde ich die unvergleichliche Verknüpfung der Verdienste — die höchsten Früchte — verkünden, die aus der Gabe einer Lampe erwächst. Ich werde darlegen, wie, von wem, zu welcher Zeit und in welcher Weise solche Lampen darzubringen sind. Höre zu.“

Word by Word

दीपदानेin (the act of) lamp-giving

प्रवक्ष्यामिI shall declare

फलयोगम्the connection/aggregate of fruits (results)

अनुत्तमम्unsurpassed, supreme

यथाhow, in what manner

येनby whom/whereby

यदाwhen

चand

एवindeed, just

प्रदेयाःto be given, should be given

यादृशाःof what kind, what sort

चand

तेthose (things)

Speaker

शुक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śukra

dīpa (lamp)

dīpadāna (lamp-offering)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse introduces a dharma-teaching: the gift of light (dīpadāna) yields supreme merit, and its efficacy depends on proper procedure—time, agent, and manner of offering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śukra begins an instructional discourse, announcing that he will lay out the rules and results of lamp-offering—who should give, when it should be given, and what kind of lamps are appropriate.