Shloka 3
Dāna-dharma: Types of Charity, Worthy Recipients, Vrata-Timings, and Śiva–Viṣṇu Propitiation
यद् ददाति विशिष्टेभ्यः श्रद्धया परया युतः / तद् वै वित्तमहं मन्ये शेषं कस्यापि रक्षति
yad dadāti viśiṣṭebhyaḥ śraddhayā parayā yutaḥ / tad vai vittamahaṃ manye śeṣaṃ kasyāpi rakṣati
Whatever a person gives to the worthy, endowed with supreme faith—this alone I consider to be true wealth; the remainder is merely kept in trust for someone else.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching dharma
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
By redefining “wealth” as selfless giving done with śraddhā, the verse shifts identity from possession to dharmic action—hinting that the enduring value lies in inner intention rather than external accumulation.
The verse emphasizes śraddhā and tyāga (faith and relinquishment), which function as inner disciplines supporting yogic purification—reducing grasping (aparigraha-like restraint) and aligning action with dharma.
Though not naming Shiva directly, the teaching reflects the Purana’s synthesizing ethos: dharma-based inner purification (central to both Vaiṣṇava bhakti and Śaiva/Pāśupata discipline) is presented as the true measure of spiritual wealth.