Shloka 23

Determination of the Householder’s Dharma

Dāna: Types, Recipients, Timing, and Fruits

Devanagari script

निर्द्दिश्य धर्मराजाय विप्रेभ्यो मुच्यते भयात् । सुवर्णतिलयुक्तैस्तु ब्राह्मणान्सप्त पंच वा

Transliteration

nirddiśya dharmarājāya viprebhyo mucyate bhayāt | suvarṇatilayuktaistu brāhmaṇānsapta paṃca vā

Translation

Indem man diese Gabe Dharma-rāja weiht und sie den gelehrten Brāhmaṇas darreicht, wird man von Furcht befreit. Man gebe sie sieben Brāhmaṇas—oder wenigstens fünf—zusammen mit Sesam, der mit Gold vermengt ist.

Word by Word

• nirddiśya: having dedicated/assigned
• nirddiśya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-diś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘निर्दिश्य’ = having indicated/dedicated

• dharmarājāya: to Dharmarāja (Yama)
• dharmarājāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘धर्मस्य राजा’ (Yama)

• viprebhyaḥ: from Brahmins
• viprebhyaḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case, ablative) बहुवचन (plural)

• mucyate: is freed
• mucyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense): is released

• bhayāt: from fear
• bhayāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• suvarṇa-tila-yuktaiḥ: with (those) furnished with golden sesame
• suvarṇa-tila-yuktaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: suvarṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + tila (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case, instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘सुवर्णतिलैः युक्तैः’ = endowed with golden sesame

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• brāhmaṇān: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत्/अविकारी; here qualifying ‘brāhmaṇān’

• pañca: five
• pañca: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत्/अविकारी; alternative count

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative instruction within the Svarga-khaṇḍa dialogue context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: suvarṇatilayuktaistu = suvarṇa-tila-yuktaiḥ + tu. brāhmaṇānsapta = brāhmaṇān + sapta.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma-rāja (Yama)
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What practice is recommended in this verse?

It recommends dedicating an offering to Dharma-rāja (Yama) and giving it to learned brāhmaṇas, specifically involving sesame combined with gold, to be given to seven or at least five brāhmaṇas.

What is the promised spiritual result of this act?

The verse states that one becomes freed from fear (bhaya) by performing this dedication and charitable giving.

What ethical lesson does this verse convey?

It emphasizes dāna (charitable giving) performed with proper intention and ritual dedication as a means of cultivating dharma and alleviating fear and insecurity.