Shloka 46

Āloka-dāna (Dīpa-dāna), Sumanas–Dhūpa–Dīpa Phala: Manu–Suvarṇa and Śukra–Bali Exempla

Devanagari script

ज्योतिस्तेज: प्रकाशं वाप्यूर्ध्वगं चापि वर्ण्यते । प्रदानं तेजसां तस्मात्‌ तेजो वर्धयते नृणाम्‌

Transliteration

jyotistejaḥ prakāśaṃ vāpy ūrdhvagaṃ cāpi varṇyate | pradānaṃ tejasāṃ tasmāt tejo vardhayate nṛṇām ||

Translation

Śukra berkata: “Cahaya (jyoti/tejas) digambarkan sebagai sinar, penerangan, dan juga daya yang menjulang ke atas. Karena itu, memberi sumber cahaya menambah tejas manusia—meningkatkan wibawa, kemasyhuran, dan keluhuran budi melalui pahala menerangi sesama.”

Word by Word

• {'jyotis': 'light

• luminous principle', 'tejaḥ (tejas)': 'radiance, brilliance, spiritual/inner vigor

• also fiery energy', 'prakāśam': 'illumination

• making manifest', 'api': 'also

• even', 'ūrdhvagam': 'going upward

• rising', 'ca': 'and', 'varṇyate': 'is described

• is spoken of', 'pradānam': 'gift

• act of giving', 'tejasām': 'of lights / of luminous things (genitive plural of tejas/jyotis in sense of light-sources)', 'tasmāt': 'therefore

• from that reason', 'tejaḥ vardhayate': 'increases radiance/energy

• augments brilliance', 'nṛṇām': 'of men

Speaker

शुक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śukra
• jyotis/tejas (light, radiance)
• pradāna (gift/donation)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Giving light (such as a lamp or anything that illuminates) is praised because light is inherently radiant and upward-moving; donating it symbolically and ethically increases the donor’s own tejas—inner brilliance, dignity, and good repute—by benefiting others through illumination.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused setting, Śukra delivers a moral teaching on dāna: he explains the nature of light/tejas and draws a practical conclusion that donating sources of light is a meritorious act that strengthens the giver’s own radiance and standing.