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 dit : «C’est de ce qui est donné ici (en ce monde) que vivent les dieux, et de même les ancêtres (pitṛ). Satisfaits par ce don, ils réjouissent et bénissent à leur tour le maître de maison par la longue vie, la bonne renommée et la richesse.»
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.