Shloka 86
Ācāra-Nirṇaya: Varṇa-Āśrama Dharma, Śauca, Snāna, Sandhyā, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and Gṛhastha-Dinacaryā
धनं तु त्रिविधं ज्ञेयं शुक्लं शबलमेव च / कृष्णं च तस्य विज्ञेयो विभागः सप्तधा पृथक्
dhanaṃ tu trividhaṃ jñeyaṃ śuklaṃ śabalameva ca / kṛṣṇaṃ ca tasya vijñeyo vibhāgaḥ saptadhā pṛthak
財は三種と知るべきである――白（清浄）、雑（混淆）、黒（闇）。さらにその区分は、別に七つの相としてそれぞれ知られるべきである。
Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Wealth has moral coloration—pure, mixed, and impure—implying that acquisition and use carry ethical consequences; further sevenfold analysis suggests nuanced discernment.
Vedantic Theme: Guṇa-based ethics (sattva/rajas/tamas) applied to artha; karma-śuddhi as prerequisite for higher realization.
Application: Maintain a ‘source-of-income’ audit: identify pure vs mixed vs harmful earnings; shift toward sattvic sources; cleanse mixed wealth through restitution, charity, and ethical reform.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Related Themes: Garuda Purana artha-vibhāga discussions: later/adjacent verses likely enumerate the seven divisions (recensional placement may vary)
FAQs
This verse frames wealth as ethically graded—pure, mixed, and dark—so a person can judge livelihood and giving by dharma, recognizing that the moral quality of income shapes karmic outcomes.
By distinguishing pure, mixed, and dark wealth and noting further sevenfold divisions, the text implies that the manner of acquisition and use of wealth produces different karmic results, influencing merit (puṇya) and demerit (pāpa).
Assess your income and spending: prefer honest, non-harmful means (śukla), avoid exploitative or deceitful earnings (kṛṣṇa), and purify mixed areas (śabala) through correction, transparency, and dharmic charity.