Shloka 4
Bhūmi-dāna, Satya-dharma, and the Non-cancellation of Sin by Charity
अग्नेरपत्यं प्रथमं सुवर्णं भूर्वैष्णवी सूर्यसुताश्च गावः / लोकत्रयं तेन भवेत्प्रदत्तं यः काञ्चनं गां च महीं च दद्यात्
agnerapatyaṃ prathamaṃ suvarṇaṃ bhūrvaiṣṇavī sūryasutāśca gāvaḥ / lokatrayaṃ tena bhavetpradattaṃ yaḥ kāñcanaṃ gāṃ ca mahīṃ ca dadyāt
Gold is first declared to be the offspring of Agni; the Earth is Vaiṣṇavī (belonging to Viṣṇu), and cows are said to be the daughters of the Sun. Therefore, one who donates gold, a cow, and land is regarded as having bestowed the three worlds.
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Dāna of gold, cow, and land is cosmically equivalent to gifting the three worlds due to their divine provenance and sustaining power.
Vedantic Theme: Īśāvāsya-bhāva: possessions as belonging to the Lord; offering back to the divine order purifies ownership and agency (kartṛtva).
Application: When giving, choose gifts that sustain life and dharma (land for livelihood, cow for nourishment/ritual economy, gold for support of yajña/charity); give with Viṣṇu-bhāva and proper intention.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: cosmic-territory
Related Themes: Garuda Purana dāna-prakaraṇa passages on go-dāna, bhūmi-dāna, hiraṇya-dāna
FAQs
This verse treats these three gifts as supremely meritorious because they are symbolically tied to cosmic principles—Agni (gold), Viṣṇu (earth), and Sūrya (cows)—so giving them is equated with giving “the three worlds.”
In the Preta Kanda context, dāna is presented as a source of puṇya that supports auspicious outcomes for the departed and the family’s ritual obligations; the verse highlights high-value dānas considered especially potent for spiritual merit.
Support dharmic causes through ethical giving: donate to fire/food relief (Agni principle), cow protection or animal welfare (go-dāna spirit), and land or shelter initiatives (bhūmi-dāna spirit), with sincerity and without exploitation.