Shloka 20
Āloka-dāna (Dīpa-dāna), Sumanas–Dhūpa–Dīpa Phala: Manu–Suvarṇa and Śukra–Bali Exempla
मनो ह्वादयते यस्माच्छियं चापि दधाति च । तस्मात् सुमनस: प्रोक्ता नरै: सुकृतकर्मभि:,फूल मनको आह्लाद प्रदान करता है और शोभा एवं सम्पत्तिका आधान करता है, इसलिये पुण्यात्मा मनुष्योंने उसे सुमन कहा है
mano hvādayate yasmāc chriyaṃ cāpi dadhāti ca | tasmāt sumanasaḥ proktā naraiḥ sukṛtakarmabhiḥ ||
Śukra said: “Because it delights the mind and also bestows beauty and prosperity, it is therefore called ‘sumanas’ by people whose deeds are meritorious.”
शुक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links virtue with auspicious outcomes: what brings wholesome joy to the mind and supports beauty and prosperity is praised and named by the meritorious. It highlights how ethical conduct (sukṛta-karma) shapes refined perception and values—seeing and honoring what uplifts and benefits life.
In Śukra’s discourse within the Anuśāsana Parva, he explains the significance of ‘sumanas’ through a nirukti-style (etymological) justification: it is so called because it delights the mind and confers śrī (beauty/prosperity).