Tilā-Dāna, Dīpa-Dāna, and Nitya-Jalapradāna
Yama–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda) | तिलदान-दीपदान-नित्यजलप्रदान (यम-ब्राह्मण संवाद
शोभने! पुनर्वसु नक्षत्रमें पूआ और अन्न-दान करके मनुष्य उत्तम कुलमें जन्म लेता है, तथा वहाँ यशस्वी, रूपवान् एवं प्रचुर अन्नसे सम्पन्न होता है ।।
nārada uvāca | śobhane! punarvasu-nakṣatre pūvāṁ (pūāṁ) ca anna-dānaṁ ca kṛtvā manuṣya uttama-kule janma labhate, tatra ca yaśasvī rūpavān ca pracurānna-sampannaś ca bhavati || puṣyeṇa kanakaṁ dattvā kṛtaṁ vākṛtam eva ca | anālokeṣu lokeṣu somavat sa virājate ||
Nārada dijo: «¡Oh señora auspiciosa! Al ofrecer pasteles dulces (pūpa) y dar alimento en caridad bajo la constelación de Punarvasu, el hombre nace en una estirpe excelente y, en esa vida, es célebre, hermoso y abundante en provisiones. Asimismo, al dar oro bajo la constelación de Puṣya—sea en forma de adorno labrado o incluso metal sin trabajar—el donante resplandece como la luna aun en mundos privados de luz».
नारद उवाच
The verse teaches that timely charity—especially food-giving and gold-giving performed with auspicious intention—produces tangible ethical fruits: favorable rebirth, social honor, beauty, prosperity, and a luminous posthumous state. It elevates dāna as a dharmic act whose merit follows the giver beyond this world.
Nārada is instructing a woman addressed as “Śobhane,” explaining the specific spiritual benefits of making particular gifts under the nakṣatras Punarvasu and Puṣya. The instruction is part of Anuśāsana Parva’s broader discourse on dharma, especially the power of dāna.