Shloka 105
Ācāra-Nirṇaya: Varṇa-Āśrama Dharma, Śauca, Snāna, Sandhyā, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and Gṛhastha-Dinacaryā
साधुतः प्रतिगृह्णीयादथ वासाधुतो द्विजः / गुणवानल्पदोषश्च निर्गुणो हि निमज्जति
sādhutaḥ pratigṛhṇīyādatha vāsādhuto dvijaḥ / guṇavānalpadoṣaśca nirguṇo hi nimajjati
A twice-born should accept (a gift) from a virtuous person—or even from one not wholly virtuous—if he is endowed with good qualities and only minor faults; for one devoid of virtue truly sinks into ruin.
Lord Vishnu
Concept: Acceptance should be guided by the giver’s and receiver’s guṇa and degree of doṣa; virtue sustains, lack of virtue leads to downfall.
Vedantic Theme: Guṇa-doṣa viveka and saṅga-śuddhi: moral qualities shape karma-bandha; cultivate sattva to avoid ‘nimajjana’ (sinking) in saṃsāra.
Application: Choose patrons/partners ethically; prioritize character and reformability; cultivate one’s own virtues to remain fit for receiving and teaching.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.213.103–104 (rules and cautions in receiving); Garuda Purana 1.213.106 (prāyaścitta for purification)
FAQs
This verse frames accepting gifts as a dharmic act guided by the giver’s and receiver’s virtue: emphasis is placed on cultivating qualities (guṇa) and avoiding a state of being virtue-less, which leads to downfall.
It links spiritual stability to guṇa (virtue) rather than rigid labels, warning that nirguṇatā (absence of virtue) causes one to “sink,” a moral cause that later manifests as suffering in post-death consequences described elsewhere in the text.
Prioritize integrity and character in both giving and receiving support; avoid unethical dependence, and cultivate virtues—because lack of virtue, not merely social status, is portrayed as the real cause of decline.