Shloka 11
गोप्रदानविधिः (Gopradāna-vidhi) — Procedure and Praise of Cow-Gifting
कथं वा बहुदाता स्यादल्पदात्रा सम: प्रभो । अल्पप्रदाता बहुद: कथं स्वित् स्यादिहेश्वर
śakra uvāca | kathaṃ vā bahudātā syād alpādātrā samaḥ prabho | alpāpradātā bahudaḥ kathaṃ svit syād iheśvara prabho ||
「主よ、多く施す者が、少なく施す者といかにして等しくなり得るのか。さらに、世の主よ、少なく施す者が、この世において大いなる施主にいかにして比肩し得るのか。我に説き明かしたまえ、主よ。」
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic inquiry: the moral worth of charity is not judged only by quantity. It invites the principle that intention, faith, purity of means, and proportion to one’s capacity can make a small gift spiritually equal to a large one, while pride or improper motive can diminish even great giving.
Indra (Śakra) addresses a revered authority (Prabhu/Īśvara) and asks for clarification about the apparent paradox in the ethics of giving—how great and small donors can become equal in merit, and under what conditions a small donor may be regarded like a great donor.