Shloka 11
Bhūmi-dāna, Satya-dharma, and the Non-cancellation of Sin by Charity
स्वयमेव तु यो दत्त्वा स्वयमेव प्रबाधते / स पापी नरकं याति यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्
svayameva tu yo dattvā svayameva prabādhate / sa pāpī narakaṃ yāti yāvadābhūtasaṃplavam
But one who, having given a gift with his own hand, later himself harasses the recipient or obstructs that gift—such a sinner goes to hell, remaining there until the dissolution of beings (the cosmic deluge).
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Naraka
Concept: Retracting/obstructing one’s own gift or harassing the recipient is grave papa leading to naraka for an immense duration.
Vedantic Theme: Satya and ahiṃsā in action; hypocrisy (dambha) and cruelty bind the jīva strongly to saṃsāra and suffering.
Application: Give without later coercion, humiliation, or clawback; honor commitments; if unable, renegotiate respectfully rather than harass.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: otherworldly region
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: detailed naraka consequences for deceit, cruelty, and adharma; Garuda Purana dharma-nīti: condemnation of dāna-vighna (obstructing gifts) and harassment of dependents/recipients
FAQs
This verse stresses that dāna must be pure and non-coercive; giving and then troubling the recipient (or undermining the gift) turns the act into sin with severe afterlife consequences.
It states that harming or obstructing a gift after giving leads to naraka (hell), with punishment lasting extremely long—symbolically ‘until cosmic dissolution’—highlighting the gravity of hypocrisy in charity.
Give without strings attached: do not demand control, repayment, publicity, or humiliation of the recipient; once given, let the gift truly belong to the other.