Shloka 30
अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः
तद् धनुस् तानि शस्त्राणि स रथस् ते च वाजिनः सर्वम् एकपदे नष्टं दानम् अश्रोत्रिये यथा
tad dhanus tāni śastrāṇi sa rathas te ca vājinaḥ sarvam ekapade naṣṭaṃ dānam aśrotriye yathā
That bow, those weapons, that chariot, and those very horses—all were lost in a single instant; just so is a gift, when given to one unworthy of sacred learning, ruined at once.
Sage Parāśara (in discourse to Maitreya)
Concept: Merit-bearing gifts are instantly ruined when given to an unworthy recipient, just as weapons can be lost in a moment.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Practice discernment in charity—support genuinely virtuous learning and service rather than status or flattery.
Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is meaningful as service aligned to Bhagavān’s order; right giving sustains the divinely governed moral universe.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse teaches that charity bears lasting merit when offered to a worthy, disciplined recipient (a śrotriya); otherwise the spiritual fruit of the gift is considered lost immediately.
By a vivid comparison: as weapons and chariotry can be lost in an instant, so too the merit of dāna collapses at once when given to an aśrotriya—someone lacking the requisite sacred grounding and conduct.
Though Vishnu is not named here, the teaching aligns with Vaishnava dharma: actions like dāna must follow right order (dharma) to support devotion and cosmic harmony upheld by the Supreme, Vishnu.