Shloka 59
Āloka-dāna (Dīpa-dāna), Sumanas–Dhūpa–Dīpa Phala: Manu–Suvarṇa and Śukra–Bali Exempla
इतो दत्तेन जीवन्ति देवता: पितरस्तथा । ते प्रीता: प्रीणयन्तेनमायुषा यशसा धनै:
ito dattena jīvanti devatāḥ pitaras tathā | te prītāḥ prīṇayant enam āyuṣā yaśasā dhanaiḥ ||
Śukra said: “By what is given here (in this world), the gods and likewise the ancestors live. Pleased by such giving, they in turn gladden and bless that householder with long life, good repute, and wealth.”
शुक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the householder’s giving—offerings, charity, and hospitality—sustains gods and ancestors, and that such generosity returns as blessings of longevity, reputation, and prosperity. It frames dāna as a pillar of social and cosmic order.
Śukra is instructing about dharma, emphasizing the gṛhastha’s role as a supporter of others through gifts and ritual offerings. He explains a moral reciprocity: beings sustained by one’s giving become pleased and confer well-being upon the giver.