Shloka 49

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

Devanagari script

देवास्तेजस्विनो हास्मात्‌ प्रभावन्त: प्रकाशका: । तामसा राक्षसाश्रैव तस्माद्‌ दीप: प्रदीयते

Transliteration

devās tejasvino hāsmāt prabhāvantaḥ prakāśakāḥ | tāmasā rākṣasāś caiva tasmād dīpaḥ pradīyate ||

Translation

Śukra sprach: „Die Götter sind strahlend — kraftvoll und von Natur aus erleuchtend. Die Rākṣasas hingegen gehören der Finsternis an. Darum wird eine Lampe dargebracht (um jene Dunkelheit zu vertreiben und Licht zu bringen).“

Word by Word

देवाःgods

तेजस्विनःradiant, possessed of splendor

हिindeed, for

अस्मात्from this (cause/source)

प्रभावन्तःpowerful, possessing influence/effulgence

प्रकाशकाःilluminators, revealers

तामसाःdark, of darkness (tamasic)

राक्षसाःdemons, rakshasas

चand

एवindeed, just

तस्मात्therefore, from that

दीपःa lamp

प्रदीयतेis given/handed (i.e., is offered/produced)

Speaker

शुक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śukra

Devas

Rākṣasas

Dīpa (lamp)

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?

Radiance and clarity are associated with the divine (tejas), while darkness and obscuration are linked with tamas; ethical instruction is framed as moving from ignorance to illumination—symbolized by the giving of a lamp.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śukra contrasts the nature of the Devas and the Rākṣasas and uses that contrast to justify a practical-symbolic act: providing a lamp, i.e., supplying light where darkness predominates.